Heartstrings
by Chibi-Ra-Chan
Summary: He never wanted this. No, China never wanted to be connected by the red thread of fate, especially not to Korea who somehow tugged on his heart strings and caused him to cross so many taboo lines and boundaries to bring them together. China/Korea.
1. I Greed

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 1 of 7

I. Greed

_"We are all born brave, trusting and greedy, and sadly, most of us remain greedy." -Mignon McLaughlin_

* * *

For the first time in centuries, China was alone.

He could not bring himself to pretend that everything would just suddenly happen for the better; because it wouldn't. Blind hope was for silly fools who could not act on their own and he was not a fool.

He would never allow this to happen ever again.

They were all gone, all of his siblings. Japan had left to govern himself; Taiwan was rebelling against him and wanted nothing to do with her once caretaker, and Hong Kong. Oh his sweet little Hong Kong had been taken away from him, literally ripped from his arms by that meddling England.

He wept over the loss of Xiang, he was only a child after all, and how could anyone be so ruthless as to take over a fledgling country? If nothing else, he knew that he would never let such a dishonor befall him ever again. Yao would never allow another colony fall from his grasp, not without a fight.

With a sigh, China tried to push the troubling thoughts from his head, instead concentrating on the path home. His annual trip to Peking had been uneventful, and truth be told his mind wasn't exactly on the issues they talked about. He was more concerned with his own pain.

The emperor had told him to go home, to rest his uneasy mind, knowing that a distracted nation would get nothing done in the long run. If only it had been so simple.

The trip home had been cursed with unexpected snow storms; there were no merchants willing to brave the weather, leaving him to walk the mountain path alone in the thick white out.

Yao was freezing to his bones, his thin jacket was not enough to keep out the chill and thankfully in only a few hours he would return to his quiet and more importantly, warm, home. He would tuck himself next to the fire and try to keep his mind off his siblings.

It was then that a wailing sound interrupted his thoughts. It was faint over the billowing wind, but it made his heart clench painfully.

It was a lost child.

Without consciously thinking about it, his feet led him away from the path home, going deeper into the storm. Year later, Yao would say it was like being in a trance; he followed his feet, knowing that something very important was waiting for him. The crying got louder as he grew closer and closer to the mountain top, the maelstrom picked up speed and ferocity making it difficult to see anything.

Suddenly out the endless borage of white, there was a spark of brown. He nearly ran to that spark feeling as if something was tugging on his heart and he was helpless to do anything but follow. Vaguely he remembered yelling, trying to find this lost child, screaming for the child to stay where it was and wait for him.

And then he found him, a little buddle lying shivering in the snow, tears frozen to his delicately pale face with deep brown hair sprawled out all over the place.

Instantly he knew this boy was a nation. China would never be sure how he knew, but he did know instinctually that this half frozen baby was like him, a nation in his own right. The child fixed his brown eyes on him and despite the harsh cold; Yao felt warmth spread through his entire being.

He knew those eyes. They were familiar and warm with compassion; this was Silla, or what was left of that once great nation. The three kingdoms and Silla herself had been gone for centuries now, but here it was, reborn again. This child was his sibling, someone to raise, to care for, a gift from the gods to sooth his wounded heart.

This boy was the new Korea.

He picked up the young nation and murmured soft words to him and shielding him from the snow the best he could. The boy curled into him completely, trusting him with his life already. The strings that were wrapped around his heart tightened even more.

'This colony will be different. This one is different aru. I can feel it already.'

Yao knew he should hand the baby over to his own country, to let them raise him in their customs, to let him grow up in his own lands, to be a true nation, but he simply couldn't let the child go.

Couldn't, or wouldn't. He wasn't sure which.

* * *

It began, as many things tend to do, in childhood.

In his earliest memories he remembers it being very, very cold. He remembers wandering for what seems like days on a dangerously snowy mountain, lost, not knowing where he was or even why he was. The only thing her knew was that he was Korea. That much was clear, even if he had no idea what it meant. He remembers nearly dying of starvation, with his tiny fingers and toes bitten blue from the snow.

Korea remembers his tears freezing to his cheeks most of all.

And then one day, in the middle of a harsh storm, he heard something other than the wails of the wind and his own sadness. He heard a faint voice, though it must have been yelling for him to hear it over the wind. The voice is the first that he has ever heard other than his own, but he knew, the minute it wrapped around him, so soft, so comforting, so real that it was painful, that he could trust it.

Korea knew in that single moment that he loved that voice.

And that it belonged to him and him alone.

That voice, his beloved voice, was connected to a boy. A boy with silky black hair and worried brown eyes, who picked him up out of the snow and hugged him close, soothing him with soft words that he couldn't possibly hear over the wind. But Korea felt the words reverberate through his savior's chest, close to his heart beat.

Korea's angelic boy took him away from the snow and to a house that was wonderfully warm, so warm that it hurt against his snow biting skin. His beautiful boy peeled away his sopping wet clothes, frowning at the child's still blue tinged toes but then let out a chuckle at the yin-yang shaped birthmark above his hip. He gave him elegant silk clothes to wear and when his toes were still chilled blue, he mumbled and rubbed them to melt away the frost.

Korea tried to talk to his beloved savior, but his tongue refused to wrap itself around the strange language he spoke, so he smiled at the older boy instead and hoped that, somehow, he could understand.

While feeding him, the pretty boy starts talking to him. Korea ate the food voraciously, but listened intently, almost greedily, to everything his boy told him. Only after talking for a few minutes did the elder of them notice his blank gaze and hurriedly switched to a language that he understood.

The boy's voice lilted over the foreign words flawlessly with practiced ease and now that he understood, Korea was hopelessly enchanted by everything he said. He spoke wonderful things about nations, countries, and kingdoms. He explained to him that they were both very special. They were lucky to be nations, which were living, breathing proof of a proud race of people.

He is Korea and his exquisite boy, his savior with the charming voice, is China. And they are brothers. China has a human name as well and he promises to give Korea his own very soon.

Korea is too young to understand much of what he was saying at the time; it was all so big and grand and he was so very sleepy, but what he did understand was that being brothers meant that they belonged to each other.

He is China's and China is his.

Seeing the child's eyes sleepily drooping, his beautiful boy, his Yao, covers him in blankets and rocks him softly to sleep. But when he tries to let go and tuck him into bed, Korea clutches his shirt with his small, no longer blue, hands and speaks to his beloved brother for the first time.

"Mine." Even though he is young, and his one word exclamation was laced with sleepiness, it was firm and left no room for argument.

His China laughs at his serious face and relents, allowing Korea to sleep with him. "But only this once, aru." Korea smiled and snuggles closer to his beautiful boy, who lazily curled the younger boy's wayward strand of hair around his fingers.

"I'm going to name you Yong Soo, okay? It means 'brave and great', aru. Would you like that?"

Korea responds by sleepily kissing China's neck and contentedly whispering, "Mine."

"Possessive little one, aren't you?"

"Mine."

"You're going to be troublesome, I can tell, aru." Nevertheless, he kisses his forehead and quietly the two brothers fall into a deep contented slumber.

* * *

Notes:

i. Xiang- This is the name I've used for Hong Kong in several of my stories, it comes from the mandarin name for Hong Kong, Xianggang, which means 'fragrant harbor'.

ii. Peking- an older pronunciation of the capital of China; Beijing. It housed the forbidden city, which was the political center of China and where the Emperor himself lived until the early 1900's.

iii. The snowy mountain- In Korean creation mythology the hero, Hwang-gung, went to a snowy mountain top in an attempt to purify himself so he could teach his people how to live good lives and eventually settle what is now Korea.

iv. Silla and the Three kingdoms- Silla was one of three kingdoms that eventually came into being the Korea we know today.

* * *

I have literally been working on this story since the middle of summer break, and I'm finally glad to release it to you all. Originally I wrote this with the intention of making a short drabble collection, but the plot quickly grew before my very keyboard and here we are.

I really love the China/Korea pairing, but I'm always a little disappointed with the lack of serious stories for them, so I have taken it upon myself to fill the gapping hole in the fandom.

I'm honored that you've read this and would be delighted even further if you decided to drop a review.

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next Chapter Preview;_

_"Get out, aru." His tone was dangerously calm, revealing the steeled force that had allowed him to survive throughout the centuries._

_Kiku faltered for a moment, not used to China's anger being directed at him. He quickly wiped the shock from his expression and his brown eyes steeled over, losing all trace of his earlier teasing. "You would protect him? You would choose him over me?"_


	2. II Envy

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 2 of 7

II. Envy

"_Jealousy is always born with love, but does not always die with it."_ -François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

* * *

China had sent him into the town to get a couple of things for dinner. Korea knew that they probably didn't need whatever he was going to get, but he didn't want to argue with his aniki. He'd been tired lately and needed all the sleep he could obtain, so Korea merrily skipped through the crowded market place, looking for something special to make his brother cheer up.

He liked going out to town with all the people and all the sounds. Sometimes nice shop owners would give him treats when he left their stands. But more importantly than that was that he got to pick up new words and phrases.

Aniki always told him he was learning fast, and it was true, Yong Soo could speak nearly perfect Chinese. He messed up a few words now and then but for the most part he was fine. Still the Korean boy loved the light that shone on China's face whenever he said a difficult word or something that he hadn't taught him himself.

Yong Soo lived for that pleased, adoring look.

Which is why he stayed behind in a food shop, patiently waiting for the two women in front of him to finish their conversation. Aniki had made sure that he had good manners after all. He was getting antsy, they just wouldn't stop gossiping. He could have easily have gone to another store to buy the same ingredients, but the shop keeper had said a word that he hadn't heard of before, and he wanted to know it's meaning.

And Korea wasn't known to drop a question once he had thought of it.

Finally, the woman paid for her items and Yong Soo was free to ask his question of the shop keep. "What does that word mean?" After a second of thought he added "Please?"

"Word? What word little one?"

"Lao Po. What does it mean miss?"

The matronly shop keeper was so charmed by this little boy who had waited so patiently and had such lovely brown eyes that she didn't hesitate to answer him.

"Lao Po is someone very important, they're the most special person in the world to you. You'll have one soon with all that cute charm of yours."

Realization dawned on the small Korean boy who smiled at her praise and paid for the noodles and vegetables he has picked out. "I already have a Lao Po then."

Amused the lady dropped a sweet roll into his bag, he was such a darling child after all. "Do you now? Well you better get home and protect your Lao Po, who knows when some dashing foreign boy will come and steal them away from you." She teased lightly. Oh, to be young again. The boy was already enamored with some lucky little girl and thought she was his wife, how sweet.

Yong Soo's eyes widened in miniature horror. No one could take Yao away from him, he was his Lao Po and no one else's! He quickly grabbed his bag in his small grubby fingers and muttered a rushed 'Goodbye, thank you.'

He ran all the way home, intent on defending his Lao Po's honor from pretty foreign boys.

* * *

'Well this is new aru.' China thought with a small amount of annoyance.

Korea was usually sweet, if not overbearing with his emotions, but at least he was smart about it. Such as hugging him when he was unable to stop him and kissing him when he's too tired or flustered to refuse. Yes, he was very clever for such a small nation. Of all the nations he raised, China never had someone like Yong Soo.

The rest had always been quiet, obedient, and almost stoic. In fact, he was quite sure that the other nations he had raised merely tolerated him, seeing him as a safe haven until they were old enough to stand on their own and leave. Such was certainly the case with Taiwan. Hong Kong probably would have had a similar ending as well, had he not been taken by that meddling England.

None of the other nations had ever woke him up with haphazardly prepared breakfast, they had never held his hand when they went to important political meetings, and they most certainly didn't kiss him good night and good morning every day. China was a bit confused by the boy's actions. Never in his long life had anyone showered him with such obvious affection.

Which brought him to his current situation.

That morning while Korea was out getting groceries, Japan had come to visit, a rare event as of late. The two had barely sat down and said no more than a few sentences before Yong Soo had burst through the doors yelling about heavens know what. The minute he spotted Kiku, his usually endearing curl straightened in apprehension, similar to the hair on the back of one's neck rising when danger approached. The only way China could think to describe it was an extremely nervous kitten walking in on a couple of dogs.

This obviously raised a red flag in his mind.

Yong Soo did not act this way around everybody. No, he was usually cheerful and inquisitive towards all the other nations he had met, especially his siblings. He would pester endlessly about things from their countries, asking questions about where they were from and what it was like there.

But suddenly, it was a complete turnaround. He glared at the island nation, staying extremely close to China the entire time. Of course Yao had apologized profusely and tried to coax Korea into being polite to his older sibling, but to no avail.

It was the most peculiar thing.

But even more troubling was the impassive way Kiku acted. China knew that Japan had always been on the stoic side, but there was something extremely worrisome about the way all his answers were clipped, and the detached way he regarded his youngest brother. Almost as if he were appraising the child's value.

Something was wrong.

"So, you are Korea? You're so small, Otouto." Yong Soo glared harder, not liking the way he called him little brother. As if he had spent enough time with him that he was allowed the familiarity.

"I may be small da-ze, but I'm strong! Right, Hyung-nim?" To prove his point, he climbed into Yao's lap and smirked. China merely raised an eyebrow and patted the boy's head. Korea usually didn't smirk; he was much too innocent for that. And he only called him Hyung-nim when he wanted something, or when he was trying to get on his good side.

Actually, if Yao hadn't known better he would of thought that Yong Soo was jealous of Kiku. The idea did have merit. In the few years that Yong Soo had lived with him, he hadn't had to share him with anyone. With the exception of the few times they met with his leaders or the rare visit to see Tibet. China smiled at his youngest brother; he was the only one who had ever been jealous for his affection before.

"Yes, yes, you're very strong." He thought he might like this little envious side of Korea. China found it amusing that Yong Soo kept referring to him as 'his.' It was endearing, even if he would never let the child know this.

"My officials tell me that 'Hyung-nim' is what you call older brothers in your homeland. Will you call me that as well?" That broke his jolly moody very quickly. The Japanese had been to Korea? That was news to him.

"No!" Korea's answer was so indignant that it surprised them both. "My China is my only Hyung-nim." He kissed his beloved brother's cheek, smirking and sticking his tongue out at the flustered Kiku the entire while.

Blushing madly and sputtering nonsense, China pulled the child from him. "B-be nice aru! And stop saying such indecent things!"

"But it's true!" Korea whined, before turning to face Japan again. "I don't care if you're a dashing foreign boy or whatever, Yao's my Lao Po and no one else's da-ze, so there!" Yao spat out his tea in shock. Even Kiku blushed deeply at the blatant possessiveness of this precocious little nation toward their brother.

"Your what aru!" 'I take it all back! The brat isn't endearing at all! He's a conniving little leech, aru!'

"Tell him it's true aniki!"

Eye twitching and headache already forming in his temples, China sent the boy away to get more tea. Yong Soo only left when China promised to tell him what a Lao Po really was and why he was not his, later.

After the scene had calmed down and Korea was safely in the kitchen out of earshot, the conversation turned to much more serious matters than their brother's overzealous affections.

"You've sent people to Korea, aru? What for?"

Kiku shrugged, "The land is rich, and we are interested in it."

"He is a child Kiku. You would try to conquer a child?" This was not right; he did not raise Japan to be so heartless. China had done his share of bad things over these many years, but never had he tried to defeat a baby nation. Especially one who was family.

"If he were to be conquered now, while he is still young, it would be much simpler in the long run. For the both of us."

Yao could not believe his ears.

"Do you mean to tell me that you came here thinking that I would just hand Yong Soo over? Like he was trash, aru?" His normally soft lilting voice took on a more aggressive edge. In the background he heard the crashing of pots and pans, his eyes unconsciously flickering toward the kitchen in worry. The movement was swift and hardly noticeable but the other nation saw it.

"You are attached to him. More so then you want to admit. He is quite cute, isn't he? And he is fond of you as well, loves you even. He would listen to you without question. Whatever you'd ask, he'd do. Think of what you could gain, Aniki."

China gritted his teeth, not liking the things he spoke, or more importantly hating how true the words were. Korea would obey whatever he said, trusting his brother with his very existence. It would take nothing more than a few kind words to bend Korea to his will, not difficult at all...'NO! He is a child!' His own thoughts disgusted him.

"Get out, aru." His tone was dangerously calm, revealing the steeled force that had allowed him to survive through the centuries.

Kiku faltered for a moment, not used to China's anger being directed at him. He quickly wiped the shock from his expression and his brown eyes steeled over, losing all trace of his earlier teasing. "You would protect him? You would choose him over me?" If China had not been so lost in his our inner turmoil then he would have seen the momentary look of hurt and jealousy that flashed thought Japan's normally impassive eyes.

Never in another 4000 years would Yao think that he would have to choose between his brothers.

On one hand, he had Kiku, who he had found wandering in a bamboo field. He was such a quiet, polite boy, who was for many years the light of his life. And on the other, was Yong Soo, who he had found nearly frozen to death on a mountain top. Loud, whiny, boastful Korea who was too clingy and let his emotions control everything he did.

It should have been an easy choice.

"He is my responsibility aru. Of course I would defend him."

Only it wasn't.

Because no matter how much favoritism he had for Japan, Korea was his main concern right now. The boy would never be able to fight off Kiku without him. And even if Yong Soo drove him crazy to the point that he sometimes wanted to strangle the boy, Yao would never want to see that spark of innocence leave his eyes. The same spark that Japan had left behind in his quest for power.

"I see. Then we no longer have any business with each other." The younger nation quickly made his way to the door and slipped on his shoes. He stalked away without sparing even a single glance back at his elder brother, the man who had raised him.

China seethed. How dare he try and pry his ward from him! The nerve and sheer disrespect was astounding!

And yet, why did seeing Kiku leave make his heart ache more than it should have? Rushing to his feet he ran to the door yelling at Japan's retreating back "Kiku, Wait Kiku! Get back here right this minute! Listen to your brother! Damnit aru!"

"Aniki?" Of course, Korea chose now to return, his long sleeves rolled up to allow him to carefully carry the tray with tea. Confused, he tilted his head to the side. "Did Japan leave?"

Yao sighed and slouched against the nearest wall, sliding until he sat on the ground once more. He was tired, so very tried and never felt his age more than he did this minute. "Yes, he did aru."

"Good da-ze. I don't trust him." Korea sat the tray down and made himself comfortable in China's lap yet again, though less enthusiastically than before. "You can't trust people who come from far away places and try to steal your Lao po."

'_No, Yong Soo, no you can't.' _The elder nation was too stressed to try and correct him even if he had wanted to. So he just held the boy closer to him and he did something that he hadn't done for hundreds of years, he cried.

Korea panicked. The sight of his beautiful brother's tears scaring him even more than Japan did. "Don't cry Hyung-nim! Was it something I said? I'm sorry. I really, really am. I won't call you my Lao po again, I promise, Just don't cry. It makes me sad when you cry."

Yao continued to softly sob into his hair, the small nation's comforting words only making him feel worse. Korea cried with him because he hated that he might have made his beautiful Hyung-nim cry.

China wept for so many reasons. He wept for whatever mistake he made in raising Kiku for him to turn out so cold, for losing his temper at his little brother, for acting like a child and crying, for making Yong Soo so upset that he cried as well.

But most of all, he wept for that horrible disgusting moment when he had honestly considered choosing Kiku over this helpless child who loved him so completely that he thought he was his wife.

He was a horrible, horrible person.

* * *

Notes;

i. Aniki- Japanese for 'brother'

ii. Lao Po- Chinese for 'wife'

iii. Otouto- Japanese for 'little brother'

iv. Da-ze- Korea's odd little catch phrase.

v. Hyung-nim- the most respectful way to call someone 'brother' in Korean.

vi. 'The boy would never be able to fight off Kiku without him' - this entire scene revolves around the Sino-Japanese war (the first one) which was mainly fought by China and Japan over who got to control Korea.

* * *

The plot thickens. At least I hope it does. Writing Kiku is always hard for me, especially old Kiku who was kinda a dick. But then again history is full of nations doing horrible things to each other, so I guess it's no different for the Asian nations.

Again, thanks ever so much for reading and for your continued support. It means the world to me. Please drop a review and tell me how you feel about adorable Korea, Douche-y Japan or Troubled China!

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next Chapter Preview;_

_The sound of metal versus metal echoed through the otherwise calm house. _

_Japan's eyes widened at the site of his attack being stopped by a mere wok, which the elder nation proceeded to wield as if it were the deadliest weapon ever made. "You can't keep him forever aniki."_


	3. III Wrath

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 3 of 7

III. Wrath

"_But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence than the strong man in his wrath." -Elizabeth Barrett Browning_

* * *

Looking back, he remembers the days after Japan's visit dragging on, seemingly never ending. Korea remembered how quiet it was in the house, how he could hear the sounds from the far off town even deep within their home.

Ever since that terrible day, things had been unbearably still and lifeless. His beautiful aniki walked and talked, he completed his duties but his heart wasn't in it. He had tried to make him happy again, he made tea without even being asked, he brought him flowers, and he ever tried doing the laundry. (A valiant effort on his part, but it resulted in disaster none the less.) But aniki just smiled and patted his head.

He didn't like it one bit.

As far as he was concerned all of this was Japan's fault. Everything had been fine until he came along and upset aniki. Yong Soo knew that aniki loved Japan. Of course he did, they were brothers.

And that was fine with him. Aniki could love other people, he just had to love him most of all.

China was his and his only; no one else had the right to be mean to him, not even their other brother. And brave face aside, he didn't like his brother like this, so compliant, so tired. He didn't even try to stop him when he climbed into his bed at night anymore!

He loved that China held him more and let him shower him with hugs and kisses, but it just wasn't right. Korea didn't want this resigned affection, it defeated the entire purpose. It wasn't the same if China didn't try to act all proper and tell him to learn manners, only to reluctantly give in grumpily show him affection in return.

He wanted his aniki to love him while he was being himself, not all mopey and depressed.

And he was ready to do something about.

With confident steps he walked into his brother's room, quickly locating the country at his desk reading what were probably important papers. China smiled weakly at his entrance. Korea grabbed Yao's hand and tugged. "Let's go."

China sighed. "Aiyah, not now Korea I'm busy aru."

With a determined glint in his eyes, Korea stood his ground and did something he normally did not do; he explicitly ignored his brother's command. "No."

"No?" Even in his depression the elder nation was surprised by his brother's blatant disobedience.

"No. Let's go." He tugged harder, and out of sheer curiosity Yao allowed himself to be half lead, half dragged through the halls by his chibi brother.

"Where are we going aru?"

Korea didn't answer, but continued to lead him out of the house and through the thickets of bamboo. Yao sighed in exasperation and Yong Soo was really beginning to hate that sound.

After walking for ten minutes in silence, (the longest time Yao could ever remember his youngest brother not talking) Korea let go of his hand and turned to face his brother proudly. They stood in a small clearing, and a medium sized pond was the only thing that made it seem special.

"A pond aru?"

"Yup."

China rolled his eyes "Why are we at a pond aru?"

"We're going swimming." To demonstrate his point, Yong Soo began to tug at his hanbok, easily shrugging out of the vest, and began working on the under shirt.

"Stop that playing aru, it's too cold to swim." As if to confirm his words, a cool breeze passed by. For the last few days it had been colder than it should have been for mid spring. It made China wonder if there was any truth to the legend that an upset nation could affect the weather.

Korea ignored him, discarding his shirt which left him only in his under clothes. It did nothing to hide the shiver that passed though his body. Gulping he jumped into the water.

For a moment there was no sounds, no sights, nothing but the cold, dark, murky water. Yong Soo surfaced with a gasp.

"What are you doing aru? You'll get sick!" The wind bit against his skin, aniki was right, he probably would get sick, but he didn't get out. Instead he swam further into the pond. "No!"

"Korea! Get out of there right now! Do you hear me aru?"

Yong Soo kicked his tiny feet harder trying to stay afloat. "Not until you stop being depressed da-ze!"

Yao was torn between two very different emotions. One made his heart beat faster, it and made him feel foolish. That was concern. Had he been so upset that Yong Soo thought the only way to make it better was to give himself pneumonia?

Luckily the other emotion he was feeling, anger, at being dragged outside, blatantly disobeyed and now being sassed at by an eight year old who didn't enough common sense to just talk to him about what happened, won out over his sissy other half. Cursing he tore his heavy shirt off and jumped in after the boy.

Yao shivered, but shrugged it off; he had more important things to deal with, like the little brat that was trying to swim away from him. Increasing his speed, he made a grab for Korea.

Said little brat gulped nervously. 'Well,' he thought 'At least the plan worked.'

China held him at eye level one hand under each of his armpits. Yong Soo smiled guiltily, "Hi Hyung-nim. N-nice day to swim, ne?" Yao didn't buy his sweet words for a second. In fact, he wasn't swayed by his admittedly adorable pout at all.

"Are you out of your mind aru?" He yelled while shaking Korea back and forth. To his credit, Yong Soo fought down the urge to throw up. "That was in no way cute or funny aru! You could have drowned! What in the world has gotten into you aru? You must always listen to you aniki! Do you hear me aru?"

"I just-" 'Whoa, whiplash.' he thought pausing until the moment of nauseas passed. "I just wanted you to be normal again."

At his honest if not stupid words, the sissy emotion of concern returned with a vengeance. Yao pulled the dizzy boy to his chest, wincing at how cold he was and begins to swim back to shore. "You could have just asked me what was wrong aru."

Korea latched onto his shoulder tiny hands lying on his neck before moving to burry themselves in his hair that had come out of its normal pony tail. China couldn't suppress the shiver that runs down his spin at the contact. Mentally he chided himself for carrying him, and promised not to do so in the future. "Whatever Japan said was about me." Korea spoke quietly. "I didn't think you wanted to talk to me about it."

Yao's eyes softened at this, but the sarcasm in his tone stayed. "So you thought that almost getting yourself killed would be a better idea?" In an eerily familiar act he wraps the child in his dry clothes and begins the long walk home.

"I would do anything for you Hyung-nim." There it was again, that unfamiliar warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that he got whenever Korea said such selfless things to him. Yao wished he wouldn't say such things; it only complicated matters and made him forget the natural order of things. It made him hope.

"Let's go home before you try to throw yourself off a mountain to cheer me up aru."

What it made him hope for, China didn't exactly know.

* * *

Things change in the following weeks.

China himself was back to normal, if not still a bit miffed at his brother's little stunt, but it was nothing a little sweet talking and hair brushing didn't fix. At much as he hated to admit it, Yong Soo had him wrapped around his little finger. He couldn't stay mad at the child for long.

Yao was a smart man, he had to be to survive for so long when countless other nations fell, but this puzzled him. He just couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, but something had shifted between him and Korea. Ever since the night he jumped into that pond, something began to gnaw at him.

For the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. It was similar to that warm tummy feeling he got when his brother said something endearing, but not as power. This feeling was more subdued, and was provoked by the strangest things. Like the way Yong Soo stumbled into the kitchen in the morning still half asleep, or when he had a hard time finding his own hands in those ridiculously long sleeves of his.

And of course there were the physical changes of Korea. He was sleeping a lot more, falling into slumber at the most random times. More than once Yao had to shake the boy awake just to make him eat something. And when he was awake he complained of pain in his shoulders and back that no amount of rubbing or kneading would sooth.

China may not know about all the intricacies of that touchy feely stuff, but he knew what aches and pains meant.

Political upheaval.

If there was one thing that Yao was good at, it was sensing the changing tides of political favor. He knew that Japan's military force was beginning to invade parts of Korea's vital regions, thus Yong Soo's poor health. It seemed that Kiku was much more than just interested in the child, but Yao was just as determined to keep him for himself.

The confrontation was a long time coming.

Which is why he wasn't surprised when near dinner there was a knock on the door. He had expected it, and prepared ahead of time. Korea, who had fallen asleep right before he began to prepare dinner, was safely hidden in one of the secret rooms of the house.

Keeping an unsuspecting composure, China opened the door. "Oh, Kiku what are you doing here so late?"

"Forgive my timing." His voice was detached, yet calm.

"Well, come in. I was just making dinner aru." He lead him into the kitchen, As soon as the door shut he heard the distinctive sound of a sword being unsheathed. "W-what are you doing with that aru?" It hurt to think that this man was once the little boy he used to parade around town with, who he taught to read and write, was raising a weapon to him.

He pointed the katana at his back; the tip gleamed unyieldingly in the moonlight. "Where is he aniki?"

"What are you talking about aru?" China spoke over his shoulder, as if there wasn't a dangerously sharp blade inches from him. "It's not nice to bring dangerous things in someone else's home aru. I raised you better than that."

Japan ignored the quip. His grip on the blade's handle was the only visible proof that he ever heard it. "Where are you hiding Korea?"

China shrugged, "He has a name you know. It's Yong Soo, not just Korea aru. You would know that if you spent any time with him." A strange look crossed Kiku's features, and he was sure he saw more than anger flash in their depths, but Yao didn't have time to ponder Japan's emotions, he was too busy defending himself from the sword that sliced through the air.

The sound of metal verses metal echoed through the otherwise calm house.

Japan's eyes widened at the site of his attack being stopped by a mere wok, which the elder nation proceeded to wield as if it were the deadliest weapon ever made. "You can't keep him forever aniki."

China's expression had lost all traces of his earlier joking indulgence. His eyes were narrow as he stared his little brother down, "Probably not aru." His voice dripped with contempt, as if daring his to argue.

"But it doesn't mean I won't try."

* * *

Korea definitely did not remember falling asleep here. That was the first thing that crossed his mind when he opened his eyes to find himself in the room where his aniki kept all his old things. He wasn't supposed to be in here, which didn't really mean that he hadn't gone though everything in the room anyway. But the point still remained; he did not fall asleep here.

"He hid you here."

Yong Soo's head whirled around to meet with the dispassionate stare of Japan who sat in one of the ornate dusty chairs in the room but the young nation was hardly concerned with him, no, he was more worried about the unconscious China that lay at his feet.

And the blood that deepened the red of his changshen.

Without a moment of hesitation he ran to his aniki, his beautiful boy. "Hyung-nim!" He tried shaking him, but receives no response other than a painful groan. The entire back of the once lovely shirt was torn, but what made tears swell in his eyes wasn't the lost shirt.

It was the deep bleeding wound that ran all the way from his right hip to just bellow his left shoulder blade. The wound was still sluggishly bleeding and no matter how much pressure he tried putting on the wound, the crimson liquid continued to flow. He glared at hatefully at Japan through his tears. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing that he didn't have coming to him." He answered casually as if they were talking about the weather.

Korea clenched his bloody hands in anger. How dare he, How dare he! What right did he have to hurt _his_ China? "You bastard!" He all but hissed

"Such language, did he not teach you any manors Otouto? "

Yong Soo's entire being shook with rage. Never before had he felt such anger, such unbridled hatred. "What did he ever do you? Why would you do this to him, he's our brother!"

"You are foolish. He is in this state because he wanted to protect you." Kiku's words hit him like a ton of bricks. 'Aniki is hurt because… of me?' The thought made is blood run cold. "For some reason that I cannot possibly fathom, China is enamored with you."

"N-no he can't be hurt because-"

"Of you? He is. You don't even know what's going on do you? My people are invading your lands and the only reason you don't belong to me is because aniki has been protecting you, or keeping you to himself. It makes you wonder why he took you in, in the first place doesn't it?"

"You're wrong." Yong Soo could only stare at the floor, desperately trying to make sense of what he was saying. "Hyung-nim would never do that, it's not like that, not like that at all…."

Japan shrugged, brushing off his weak explanation and crouching next to the troubled Korea. Feigning affection, he pushed a few strands of his brothers' hair behind his ears. "Are you so sure? After all another child means another colony to control."

At that Yong Soo snapped, shoving the larger nation away from him with surprising force. "You're wrong! Hyung-nim isn't like you, he cares about me!" He yelled, with much conviction. "Whatever reason he took me in doesn't matter! He is mine now and I'm his! And you! You're just angry that you're not his favorite anymore!"

For a moment there was silence in the old antique room and by the look of fury in Kiku's eyes, Korea thought he was going to end up in a similar state as China. But the emotion was quickly reigned in and covered by his normal mask of polite indifference.

Once again Japan kneeled on his heels in front of the younger country. "Maybe you are right, I am a bit jealous." With slim fingers he took Korea's chin in his hand, forcing him to meet his eyes. "But one day he will leave you as well." His lightly kissed the top of Korea's forehead, his words ghosting over his brother's skin. "And someday Otouto, you will ache the way that I ache."

Yong Soo watched as he collected his sword, that horrible weapon that has his beloved brother's blood covering it. It made him sick. "You should treat that before it leaves a scar on your Lao Po's pretty back." These were the only words Japan spared before leaving his brothers in anguish.

On the floor, Yao moaned in pain and struggled to rouse himself into consciousness. Korea was at his side in instant whispering reassurances to the weakened country. "It'll be okay Hyung-nim. I'll take care of you, alright? Everything will be fine, da-ze. It'll be fine. Everything will be okay."

Only, he didn't know if he was trying to convince China or himself that anything would ever be okay, ever again.

* * *

Notes:

i. The pond- Lakes, Springs and freshwater of all kinds have been used in many cultures to bring about purity and cleanse the soul of ill feelings.

ii. Kiku v Yao- This entire scene is in reference to two things. One would be the actual canon scene were Japan gives China his scar, which I took the liberty to expand on. The other would be the history behind it, The second Sino-Japanese war which was once again fought over who got to control Korea.

iii. '_Someday otouto, you will ache the way that I ache._' this line is inspired from the song, 'Doll Parts' by Hole. The song seemed to fit Kiku in a strange way, and it helped me to write this chapter.

* * *

This chapter was extremely difficult to write. Part of me struggled with how cruel Kiku actually was. I think to really get over that, you've really have to look at the history and the events at the time. Japan was just immerging as a superpower, and was still very much isolated, so he didn't have any friends to mellow him out. One must also keep in mind, he's still a relatively young nation who is just seeing the industrialization of the west and thus the threat they pose to the east.

Oh, Kiku you gave me such a hard time this chapter. Meanwhile things should be shifting right about now from fluff to drama. Once again, thank you for reading and please leave a review as they make me want to update faster.

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next Chapter Preview;_

_He couldn't pinpoint just when his feelings for Korea changed into something more, something deeper and much more taboo. 'This will fade, things will return to normal again, and everything will be fine aru.' He told himself over and over like a mantra._

_Then why did he find himself hovering outside his brother's room, pacing the floor in nervousness? "You could just come in and talk to me instead of burning a hole in the floor, you know." The sound of his brother's voice just beyond the thin door jutted through his thoughts_

'_No, Yao don't do it. Don't encourage him anymore then you already have aru.' He knew he should listen to his own common sense, but his traitorous feet lead him into the room none the less._


	4. IV Pride

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 4 of 7

IV. Pride

"_Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need."_

- Kahlil Gibran

* * *

"How is your back healing Yao?" This is asked by Tibet. The nation turned monk had taken to checking in on China ever since a hysteric Korea ran all the way to his temple-home in the mountains to ask for help. The monk had agreed to help, putting aside current political tension to help a fellow nation.

"It hurts still aru, but Korea changes the bandages at least once a day aru." He replies, his tea forgotten and his eyes lazily watching as Korea splashes around in a rice patty, chasing away the birds that try to land. "He hasn't left my side since it happened aru. I don't know if he's worried for me or scared of Kiku aru." As much as he complained about it, it was nice to have someone look after him for once, even if it was Korea. Next to him, Tibet smiled.

"It's difficult having little brothers isn't it? How old is he now?"

"About twelve? Maybe thirteen, aru. It's hard to tell. The little brat won't stop growing aru." China scoffs and turns to face his long time friend. Tibet had been around nearly as long as he had, and despite the feuds their governments had Yao often found the man to be a good place to seek advice from.

And Korea had liked him enough to ask for his help above all the other nations. Though China was sure that no other nation would have helped anyway. Yao fought off the urge to bang his head into the table. "What should I do aru?"

"Sometimes," the nation turned monk begins "Our affection for those we love blinds us to what is staring us straight in the eye. You have known for quite some time that Kiku desires to grow stronger, maybe he is going down a path that you cannot follow him."

"He's my brother. I can't just let him do whatever he pleases aru. He's hasn't been himself."

"He is also a nation; you can't keep him under your wing forever."

Yao sighed and held his head in his hands. This entire thing was much too complicated, and no good could come from any of it. "It's like I have no idea who he is anymore. What kind of person tries to conquer a child?" _'The same kind of person who allows a child to shower him with love to make himself feel better.' _The darker part of his heart answered.

China beat that part of his heart back, he had enough on his plate to deal with without adding the strange twitches of emotion he seemed to be getting around Korea lately. He wasn't even sure what the strange little feeling was, only that it made his stomach churn in a not entirely unpleasant way. _'No, best not venture there aru.'_

"Don't place so much guilt on yourself Yao. You did what any good person would do; you protected the person who needed you most."

Yao only watched Korea who seemed completely oblivious to the mental torture his precious brother felt because of him. His outer clothes lay forgotten as he waded and Yao could already see the beginnings of sun burn on his shoulders. He had told him to be careful, but did he listen to a thing he said? Nope. Still how could he possibly stay cross with him when he chased after the water fowl, face so excited and earnest, and his cute little birthmark jutting out with his each tiny movement…

That strange feeling rolled through his body again as he watched the young nation. He was growing up so fast, he hardly looked like a child anymore. His voice was just beginning to change and more than once Yao had caught himself examining the boy closer than necessary.

Like now.

Eyes widening in realization and cheeks flushing red, China turned his attention to his now cold tea, adamantly not looking back toward his younger sibling. "Than why do I feel so horrible?" he watched closely as the ripples moved from the center of the liquid, growing larger until it reached the rim of the cup before calming again. _'A single stone dropped in a pond changes everything.' _the proverb echoed across the ancient nation's mind, bringing up memories of how Yong Soo had literally sent ripples through the pond, both literally and metaphorically.

Tibet observed the way China watched over his ward, then enlightenment dawned on him causing the monk to smile "I think I know why Yong Soo is different to you."

China attention snapped back to his companion in guilty shock before quickly replacing the expression with a frown and a skeptical raised eyebrow. "How so aru?"

"Not to say that the other nations you've raised are any less loved or regarded, but Yong Soo is different than the rest of them. He talks to you, he tests you, he pushes you and you push back. I can't think of a single nation you've cared for that has effected you thusly. It isn't a secret that he loves you, but I dare say that even if you deny it, you love him as well. He has tamed you, and in return you have tamed him."

"Do you ever speak like a normal person aru?" China asked gruffly, cheeks puffing out similar to a blowfish in an attempt to try and cover his blush.

Tibet smiled, "Sadly, no."

And they sat together in silence for a long time, letting the warm summer air blow around them, Tibet watching Korea's antics, smiling softly and China reflecting on everything The idea of being tamed by anyone, especially Korea did not sit well with him. Was it true, did he love his brother? It was a given that he loved him, he was his baby brother, but was it possible that he wanted him as more than a colony and a sibling?

Did he _desire_ Yong Soo?

The thought was so odd and foreign, and it caught him so off guard, that Yao could only gaze off into the distance for a few moments as strange and confusing thoughts flooded his head.

'_Aniki, why won't you play with me anymore?' His lips pout more than he's ever noticed before and suddenly his eyes are dark with a spark of something that Yao's defiantly never seen on his younger brother before. He is thankful that he is sitting down because his knees may have just buckled._

_Yao opens his mouth to say something, anything, but his throat goes dry as Korea walks toward him, slowly, painstakingly slow, before stopping just in front of him, the collar of his jeogori loosens and revels a perfectly pale shoulder that should never look so enticing._

'_Is it because you don't think I'm cute anymore?'_

_The only response he's able to manage is a slight nod saying no because Yong Soo has now made himself comfortable in his lap, bringing them flush together. Yao tries to think straight through the haze that's clouding his thoughts but it's to difficult to do anything besides concentrate on the rush of heat that Korea seems to be radiating._

'_That's good da-ze.' the young nation's hands have found their way to his neck and are now rubbing circles into the tender flesh, making China shutter. 'You know I'd do anything for you Hyung-nim….'_

_His inner resistance leaves him at the use of the respectful name. Eyes lowering to half mast Yao is unable to help himself from running his lips along that tantalizing shoulder, relishing in the positively delicious mewl that escapes from Yong Soo's lips._

'_Ungh, an-aniki…!'_

"Yao? Yao are you okay? You're getting very sweaty." Tibet says with concern written on his features.

All of a sudden the spell is broken and Yao snaps back into reality, face flaming and insides fluttering in both horror and shameful excitement.

'_Tian, what have I done aru?' _he thinks darkly, willing the images in his head to disappear.

Such a thing would only cause trouble. Not only was it morally wrong, so very, very sinfully, tantalizingly taboo, but it would surely complicate things more.

How could he have let this happen? He had known that Korea had feelings for him. He had known ever since he had first foolishly called him his Lao Po all those years ago. He had thought nothing much of those feelings, thinking they would disappear over time. But he had never considered that he would ever possibly have some kind of feeling in return for the young nation; and certainly not the kind of emotions that had conjured up that daydream.

'_This can never happen again aru. I have to figure out what this taming means and try to fix it. I can never allow this to go any further aru.'_

"Tibet, what does all that taming stuff mean aru?"

"Taming means to be connected, to belong to one person and belong to them in return. It's something many people have forgotten about. It is not enough to be connected, no, everyone wants that, but it is what happens once you have been connected, once you belong to one person and one person only.

To the rest of the world he is a bratty, clingy child like any other child out there, but because you have tamed him, because you have spent time with him, because you have rocked him to sleep and because you have kissed him goodnight he is more special than a hundred thousand bratty children. He is yours.

You see, my dear Yao that is the great secret that many have forgotten. And it is what makes Yong Soo special from the entire world. You have tamed him, and you become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."

That's when he knew that this would never go away.

China could deny it all he wanted, and he would, oh he would deny this day and that horribly wonderfully retched dream ever happened, but it would never erase what had already happened without him ever even knowing it. It would haunt him for the rest of his long, long life.

Somehow, he had fallen in love with Korea.

* * *

Eventually the sun began to set, belongings were collected, goodbyes given, sun drained little boys were dragged home by their big brothers. And that sun drained little boy was tucked in by aforementioned big brother who stayed up for a long time thinking of what it meant to tame.

And the little boy who had apparently tamed him.

* * *

Weeks turn into months and the months start to add up to years and before he's really aware of it, Yong Soo begins to grow up. Not so much to where is his no longer a child, but Korea now stood at eye level with his aniki, very tall for a nation so young. China sometimes joked that he will be old enough to mange himself before he even turned three hundred.

Korea knew it was only teasing, but still. The thought of being on his own scared him. Nations aged differently than normal humans, and although he grew in body, his heart remained the same. He wanted to stay with his aniki as long as he could.

Which was why, for the life of him, he couldn't understand why aniki wouldn't let him hug him in public or take baths together anymore. It wasn't like his pretty aniki to push him away. Well, okay it was like his aniki to push him away, but he never did so seriously. It was different now, he could feel it.

Yong Soo was genuinely perplexed by the way China had been acting lately. Whenever he tried to kiss him good morning, like he had always done, aniki bolted out of bed before he even got close. Or when he managed to take Yao by surprise and hugged him, he would stutter wordlessly, scramble to get out of his embrace and turn a funny red color that made him blend into his changshen.

And when he asked his beautiful brother why he was acting this way, he couldn't explain himself at all, or at least not it a way that Korea could understand.

He hated to think about it, but lately he wondered if there was any truth to Kiku's words. He was angry with himself for ever thinking it, but the seeds of doubt had been planted. 'Aniki likes me right? Right?'

He wondered if it was because he wasn't cute anymore. But that couldn't have been it because whenever they went into town, the village girls all flocked around him. They all thought he was cute and seemed to like him. So why did aniki get all red in the face and pull him away? Going on and on about chores, and getting supplies, and whatever else he started babbling about?

Actually when he thought about it, a lot of things he did made China blush ridiculously red now a days. And it didn't help that all this war stuff was going on either.

Yong Soo may not like the political circus like his brothers did, but he was current with the goings on in the world. In the last few months nations had begun making packs with other nations like crazy. Countries that usually couldn't stand each other were gearing up to defend one another. More than once he had awakened in the middle of the night to find China pacing his room trying to figure out whom to side with.

And when he asked if he wanted to take a break and nap with him, he freaked all out! Honestly, his aniki could sure be weird when he wanted to. Like tonight.

China had been pacing the stretch of hall just outside his door for nearly an hour now. Korea found that he had started doing this quite often since the world summit they attended only a few weeks earlier. While he himself had a fun time, meeting new nations, learning new things and more importantly stuffing his face with all the strange food they had there when aniki wasn't paying attention, something about the meeting had obviously upset aniki.

'Five minutes' he thought to himself 'If he doesn't stop pacing in five minutes, I'll ask him about it da-ze.'

* * *

'If this goes on any longer,' Yao though bitterly, 'Then I may have to kill myself aru.' He was jesting of course, but his frustration was no joke. World matters were confusing, there were just so many things to consider, so many angles to try to see from if one wanted an acceptable outcome. It was enough to stress even the strongest of nations.

And when it came to meddling in things that should be left alone, those European countries where the experts. Honestly, with the messes they got themselves into over there, Yao preferred to stay out of it if at all possible. He had his own problems with his own country.

There was change in the air, there was a new system running his country, quite a waste of almost 4000 years of tradition, but he could hardly change anything. Those idiots in Peking talked big but were virtually powerless. He was on, at best, shaky terms with Japan. The thought of his younger brother made his still sore scar throb with pain.

'_I'm sure if you just asked aru, Yong Soo would be more than happy to…'_

"No, don't even think it aru." He muttered to himself, trying to push the thought away but it refused to budge. It was thoughts like this that had made it nearly impossible to get a moment's rest.

For once, Yao had no idea what to do about the situation at hand. Never before had a nation stayed under his wing for so long. They had left long before they reached Yong Soo's age, a staggering 14 in human years. Rebelling siblings he could handle, compliant and growing up ones, he could not.

The problem wasn't that Korea had stayed with him, no, that wasn't so bad. The true issue was that no matter how much Korea grew in body and political power, his heart remained the same. He was still the same whiney, possessive, braggart who he found in the snow all those years ago. Yet on the other side of the proverbial coin, Korea still brought him his tea in the morning and pestered him to allow him to sleep in his room on nights without any moon.

Only it was not an adorable 4 year old doing these things anymore, it was a quickly growing and maturing boy-child. Somewhere along the line, Yao had no idea where, his ability to deny that anything has going on between them had died. And suddenly the gestures had stopped being pure and childish instead taking on a more perverse and alluring nature to them.

Once upon a time, Korea's fumbling and confusion with words had been amusing, comical even. Now, not so much. How should he react when a nearly grown boy asks _'Hey aniki, can I sleep with you tonight? You seem kind of lonely?'_ The familiar request took on a whole different meaning when it was spoken by a half asleep, heavy lidded teenager whose voice was much more enticing then should be.

He rejected Korea's affection left and right, trying to salvage the little bit of his ego he had left. His only source of pride from the entire ordeal being that he had not acted on anything. Yao was sure that if he denied it enough and stuffed those thoughts deep within himself then everything would be fine. Things could remain at this silent stand still neither one losing or gaining an inch.

Yet in some instances no amount of denial or self hatred could keep his feelings in check. Simple brushes of skin, hands that touched momentary when they walked into town sent shivers down China's spine that he could not hide. There were times when Korea would get so frustrated with his own hair that Yao could not help himself from sitting his brother down and carefully running his fingers through the tangled onyx mess.

The unjustified possessiveness is what caused him the most grief. Yong Soo was not a thing, a possession that he could own, his rational part of his mind knew this but his heart refused to listen. He had made a grave error when he brought Korea with him to one of the world meetings. For the first time he had to share him with other people.

And he didn't like it one bit.

It was strange and unsettling to see his little brother, who had lived such a quiet life with him, suddenly thrust onto the world's stage. Who was this charming, personable, witty nation who cracked jokes and flirted with the female countries? Who was he and what had he done to his shy, bratty sibling?

It wasn't as if Korea himself was any help either. He wasn't exactly shy about his own feeling for him, he had never been. Yao nearly had a heart attack when after talking to a very un-sober England, Yong Soo was convinced that his 'breasts' belonged solely to him, despite the fact he was a man and therefore did not have breast in the first place.

Even so, he blushed to the roots of his hair and proceeded to beat the crap out of the idiot who gave him such ideas. _'As if I didn't have it hard enough aru, let's fill his head with sexual innuendos! That'll make it all easier aru.' _He thought dryly.

Still his jealousy over Yong Soo unnerved him, not to mention it dealt a huge blow to his pride. It annoyed Yao to no end that he simply couldn't think the entire situation out. _'This will fade, things will return to normal again, and everything will be fine aru.' _He told himself over and over like a mantra.

Than why did he find himself hovering outside his brother's room, pacing the floor in nervousness?

"You could just come in and talk to me instead of burning a hole in the floor, you know." The sound of his brother's voice just beyond the thin door jutted through his thoughts

'_No, Yao don't do it. Don't encourage him anymore then you already have aru.' _He knew he should listen to his own common sense, but his traitorous feet lead him into the room, where he stood awkwardly no sure what he was to do now that he was in the room. He hadn't trusted himself to go this far.

"I won't bite Hyung-nim, just sit." China flushed at the respectful name. That's right, he was his brother, nothing more. "What's on your mind?"

"Things aru." He answered vaguely, while making himself comfortable next to Korea, not too close of course, he didn't think he could bare it. "Everything is just so complicated aru. I'm not sure what to do anymore." It was true and it applied to either the current mess in the affairs of the world or the situation in his very own home.

"It must be scary to handle all those things." Yong Soo answered, his wayward curl swaying lightly in the breeze that the open window allowed. Yao had a hard time taking his eyes off it. "Well whatever you decide, you need to follow your heart da-ze! Set aside your pride for once and just live! Go your own way!" He answered energetically with his newly discovered dogma. (Yet another habit picked up from the world meeting from hell. He was never letting Korea anywhere near America ever again.)

China snorted at the irony. _'If only you knew. Without my pride, I would be nothing but a puppet to my own desires aru. And what would become of you then?' _He sighed deeply before answering. "It's not that easy aru."

Korea waved his hand dismissively, his long sleeves tussled about. "That's stupid; you just like to make things too difficult." He faced his brother head-on, speaking directly to him, which only served to frazzle the elder nation more. "It's always everyone else first with you. 'I can't do that aru, it'll make so and so upset' or 'I can't have fun aru, I'm too busy aru'" He mimicked his speech pattern in an annoyingly high pitched voice.

"I don't sound like that aru." He muttered darkly.

"That's not the point aniki; the point is that you never do anything for you! You don't take days off, you don't have fun, you don't even play with me anymore! Is it because I'm not cute anymore? Because the girls in town all think I'm cute-" China blanched at the phrase, his mind unconsciously drifting back to the daydream, in which Yong Soo had said nearly the same thing. Korea continued obviously unaware of how much his words had affected his elder brother.

The words echoed in his head over and over again, like a fierce wind pushing every other thought away, battering down the foundations of his reasoning, twisting his morality, and destroying all the carefully laid boundaries he had clung to for so long, until only it remained.

"-You don't have friends to talk to-"

'_Oh, Korea, you have no idea do you?' _Things started to get fuzzy, and China desperately tried to keep a hold of his train of thought.

"-Bury yourself in silly paperwork, even when you don't need t-"

Yong Soo's words were losing their meaning. Yao knew he was talking to him, but no matter how much his brother's lips moved, he couldn't really understand a single thing. '_No, Yong Soo, it's not because I don't think you're not cute aru.'_

"-Life should be fun! Being a nation doesn't have to be-"

Yao wished he'd just stop talking. His mouth just moved and moved, lips curling and wrapping around words he could not make himself care to hear, taunting him almost _'The problem is that I think you're too cute aru._'

"-go to the beach or something fun like that. Hey! Are you listening to me Hyung-nim? Are you-?"

Ultimately it is that word, that cursedly wonderful word, which makes China loose his grip on his control. In a moment of weakness, he shoves aside his pride, his mind, his everything and follows his heart.

Without regard for the repercussions, Yao leans in and quiets Yong Soo's lips with his own.

And for the first time in what seems like years, there is peace in China's mind.

* * *

Notes;

i. Tibet- In the original manga, Tibet was the one that Yao introduced Japan to as his little brother, not a panda. I have always thought the idea of a nation also being a monk was fascinating and thus he is the main figure of wise advise in this story.

ii. 'Taming' - The idea of taming comes from the wonderful novella, Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The fox in the story explains to the little prince that the most important things are the things that are invisible and that once you invest into someone, you are reasonable for them forever. It seemed like something that Tibet would find interesting and well as a main plot point for this story.

iii. 'Tian' - Chinese for 'Heavens'

iv. 'Aniki's breasts!'- I've always secretly thought that Yong Soo picked up his habit of claim China's breasts as his from listening to drunken nations talking, so I've thrown the little explanation in for the laughs.

v. 'Go your own way!' - Again, I think that as a child Korea was impressionable and picked up his catchphrase from another nation. In this case I chose America to be the one that influenced him because it was both funny and serves the plot a bit later.

* * *

Wow, that chapter was a dozy to write. Especially the daydream part. I literally stopped typing a dozen times, lost in thought about it. I admit it, I'm a shotacon. I can't help it. It must be the Spanish blood in me. Curse you Antonio!

Anyways, I'd really, really like to hear your thoughts on this chapter, because frankly, I'm a nervous wreck about the sexy times in this.

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next chapter preview:_

"_An hour ago you couldn't even look at me aru! Now you're acting like everything is fine. It isn't aru! We can't fix this." _

_Yao looked away, unwilling to let his brother see him so upset, not that he couldn't hear it in his voice anyway._

_Korea sighed, a bad habit he picked up from his years with China, and reached over, wrapping Yao's hand in his. He felt the other man's heartbeat quicken as he turned the small hand this way and that, taking in the slim digits and the few scars on the otherwise perfectly pale skin. 'My hands are bigger than his, when did that happen?' _

_"I don't think it needs fixing. It's not broken."_


	5. V Lust

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 5 of 7

V. Lust

"_All at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other; hopelessly, I should add, because that frenzy of mutual possession might have been assuaged only by our actually imbibing and assimilating every particle of each other's soul and flesh." _-"Lolita" Part One, Chapter 4

* * *

A long, long time ago; long before all the complications of foreign policies and vexing little brothers, China himself was a child.

He remembered that he had many sisters. At least five, probably more, yet the years had dulled his memory and he honestly couldn't remember too much about most of them. The centuries had caused them to fade into nothingness, while he somehow survived and thrived.

His sisters had doted on him and taught him many things. They taught him to smile when he wanted to make friends, to be humble yet proud and they taught him to always think things through.

He remembers his eldest sister, a small kingdom named Silla, who had the prettiest face and an odd sense of humor, the best. She would coddle him for hours on end; brushing his hair and singing to him. She taught him the most important matters of consequence.

"_Remember little Xia," _She spoke calmly calling him by his old name, after all he had not always been the China he was today, _"You can have all the riches in the kingdom and still have nothing. The most important things are tied together and connected by the red strings of the heart. Go your own way, but be mindful of those strings. They are delicate and once broken it is hard to connect them again."_

Never before had Yao really understood the importance (or the familiarity) of his once-sister's words, but that had begun to change when Tibet had said all those silly poetic things about taming and belonging. And now with his lips connected to Yong Soo's, his hands holding the boy's face firmly yet with care, China truly understood.

'_This is what love feels like aru.'_

The kiss was hesitant, almost shy, as if he did not trust himself to act. Which wasn't too far from the truth. He could feel his brother's posture stiffen and he swore he felt his pulse beating rapidly through their connected lips. In fact, Korea's lack of response caused Yao to revaluate his actions all together.

Had he read too much into Yong Soo's feelings? Was his own desire for him so much that he had fabricated the supposed bond between them? What if Korea's affection for him did not extend past familial love after all?

His heart clenched as he pulled himself away. _'I have made a grave mistake aru.' _Fearing the worst, he turned his eyes to Yong Soo's frigid unmoving form. China wasn't sure which was worse, the fact that he was clearly out of line in kissing him, or the fact that Korea could not look at him.

No, the boy-child looked blankly at the wall, his cheeks were flushed in the loveliest shade of rose he'd ever seen, but he did not spare him a flicker of a glance. He just stared straight ahead, unblinking.

"I….-" all traces of excuses died in his throat. What could he possibly say to make it right anyway? _'Sorry I just assaulted you aru, but I couldn't help it. I've been lusting after you for the last couple years. Yeah that would make you like, what, eleven when it began? That's not weird at all! Anyways can't things just go back to normal aru?' _

Somehow he had the feeling that that was not going to fix anything.

"I, I'm so sorry aru." He does the only think he can logically think of at this time, he runs. Yao isn't even sure where his feet are taking him but he lets them lead him wherever they desire to go as long as it wasn't here.

Despite his age and the usual pains that came with it, China felt no physical strain as he ran. His legs took him far, but it was increasingly clear by the swirling thoughts in his head that no amount of running was going to make the situation better.

The most stable relationship he'd ever had in his life was hanging by a thin red thread. It was perversely ironic that he had been thinking only minutes earlier that the same red thread tied their hearts together.

He was a fool.

'_What kind of person lets themselves be taken in and entranced by a mere child aru? What kind of brother has those kinds of thoughts about his sibling, the same sibling he claims to love aru?'_

A long time ago, long before he had ever heard Yong Soo crying on that mountain top, Kiku had told him a story that he desperately wished he'd paid more attention to now.

It was about a young prince, who went through his entire life in love with a woman who was unable to love him back. In order to feel whole inside the prince collected beautiful young women to try and soothe his hurt heart.

The prince takes to traveling in an attempt to ease the pain of being pushed away by his first love. And on one fateful trip he finds a beautiful child who reminds him of his beloved so much that he steals the child away to live with him in the palace.

The prince raises his little girl-child with the utmost care, teaching her how to hold herself in public, how to be humble, how to love, everything he desired in the perfect woman, knowing all the while that it was only a matter of time before he made her his. Without thinking of the beautiful girl-child's feelings he beds her, sealing her fate.

Despite his love for the girl, the prince continued to pursue other partners. Eventfully his own emotional ways end up hurting her most of all.

And the prince, so foolish in his assumption that he could ruin the natural order of things, caused his child-bride to push him away, to reject him until she could not take the heart-sickness any longer and died. Leaving the prince to realize, albeit a little too late, that the most beautiful things in life are fleeting.

He never forgave himself.

At the time, Yao had been appalled by the tale, shocked that Kiku had loved it so. He found the prince to be a horrible human being who did not know how to be honorable. One could not tempt fate and upset the natural order of things and still expect to find happiness.

But now, in the aftermath of his own failed attempt to woo his very own 'child-bride' China was not so sure.

Had he not done the same thing when he stole Yong Soo away for himself, because he was upset that Japan had left? Had he not raised him to be everything he felt constituted a good brother and nation? Did he not teach him to be kind, to love others, to always listen to his brother? Ultimately, had he not let his own emotions scare Korea away as well, leading to his current shame and misery?

Yao was no better than Kiku's 'Shinning prince.'

"I've ruined everything aru."

* * *

Yong Soo finds him sitting at the edge of their pond nearly an hour later.

Yao isn't doing anything; he's just sitting on the shore with his knees pulled to his chest, his arms folded around them. Similar to him earlier, China stares blankly out at the black-blue lake; his usually expressive brown eyes looked tired.

"Nice night isn't it?" Korea says rather lamely. He doesn't have to see China to know he is rolling his eyes, he just knows.

"Don't try and placate me Yong Soo."

The younger nation shrugs sheepishly and sits down besides his brother; much closer then he would have dared before, testing the metaphorical waters if you will. Immediately the elder nation stiffened and put more space between them. Korea laughed. "You're funny."

Yao glared at him, a bit of anger but also confusion lurking in the depths of his amber eyes. It made him smile even more_. 'Aniki can be so dense sometimes.' _he concluded. He scooted closer yet again, the sides of their hips touched for a brief moment causing China to bolt into standing and retreating a good three feet.

"What are you doing? Haven't I traumatized you enough for one night aru?" His words were bitter. Korea had expected as much, but who could blame him? He hadn't even been able to look at him. He was sure that was a bit of a turndown in China's eyes.

"Not really." He replied airily, tossing a few pebbles into the calm pond. He liked watching the ripples get bigger and bigger. The idea that one small thing could change the state of everything was dear to his heart. He could tell his aniki was rolling his eyes yet again, getting frustrated that he didn't see things the same way he did.

Keeping his distance, Yao spoke again, his voice filled with something akin to anger but it also dipped into sadness. Korea didn't like it at all. "Why are you even here Korea?"

Ouch, calling him by his nation name. Talk about the cold shoulder. Ignoring the attempt to trick him into leaving, Yong Soo laid back fully, his hair grazing the tips of his brother's thin shoes. Fidgety once again, China made to move away, but the hand that was suddenly wrapped firmly around his ankle would not allow him that kind of movement lest he wanted to chance tripping and falling onto his brother.

Not that Korea would have minded that much, but he digressed.

"Stop running. Sit. I won't bite you, well not if you don't want me too…." He is unable to hold back the laughter at how red his aniki's face gets, or how annoyed he is when Yao sits down almost two whole feet away from him._ 'Does he think that if he sits too close he'll jump me or something?' _The mental image made him laugh yet again.

"What's wrong with you aru? This isn't funny!" China yelled, upset at being laughed at when he thought he was obviously doing something worthwhile. "An hour ago you couldn't even look at me! Now you're acting like everything is fine. It isn't aru! We can't fix this."

Yao looked away, unwilling to let the young nation see him so upset, not that he couldn't hear it in his voice anyway.

Korea sighed, a bad habit he picked up from his brother, and reached over, wrapping Yao's tiny hand in his. He felt the other man's heartbeat quicken as he turned it this way and that taking in the slim digits and the few scars on the otherwise perfectly pale skin. _'My hands are bigger than his, when did that happen?' _But he brushed the thought aside, instead gently intertwining their fingers. It felt nice.

"I don't think it needs fixing. It's not broken."

"Then why-"

"I thought I was dreaming."

Yep, his heartbeat defiantly picked up. If he didn't calm down soon then he would surely pass out. His aniki looked at him shocked and a bit embarrassed at what the statement implied. "Dreaming aru?" He gulped nervously.

Korea nodded, being serious for a rare moment in his life. "Yeah, I didn't think it would ever actually happen. I've dreamed about it though. But just when we're about to touch I wake up and it's only a dream. You're never there and it didn't actually happen. That's the saddest part I think, that you're not there when I wake up in the morning." His voice was thick was sadness, but the young nation shook it off, not wanting to get bogged down in depression. It just wasn't his style. "Anyway I didn't want to wake up and have it be fake, but it wasn't a dream this time."

China had moved a bit closer, not much maybe a few inches, but it was still progress. "Let me get this straight: You freaked out and went into a borderline coma because of a single kiss aru?"

He nodded quickly, that stray curl moved with him. "It was from you after all!"

Yao smiled a bit, just a small tilt of lips, but it was all Yong Soo needed to know to see things would be fine for them. It wasn't broken after all.

"You over react, it was just a kiss, what a child aru." Yao teased airily, flexing his fingers lightly in his younger brother's grip. Korea squeezed right back.

He could get used to this.

"Hey! I'll have you know that that was my first kiss!" Korea knocked his shoulder into China's playfully, but it was as if he had rammed himself into a brick wall. China had gone rigidly still and stared straight ahead, blinking rapidly. The peninsula nation cocked his head to the side confused. "Aniki? Hey aniki are you okay?"

Still not looking at him, China spoke. "Your first kiss?"

"Uh, yeah." Yong Soo didn't know why he sounded so surprised. It wasn't as if he had anyone else to kiss. They lived far away from other nations and it wasn't exactly as if he was able to randomly kiss someone in the village. And even if he could, he didn't want to kiss anyone else. China was all he wanted, no one else would do.

"Your first kiss ever?"

"Yes, who else would I have kissed? Japan?" He laughed a bit at his own joke, but the humor was lost on the elder nation. Said nation was now staring at him intently, a weird glint in his normally relaxed dark brown eyes.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't respond, and made me question every traditional moral and value I believed in because it was your first kiss aru?" He spoke dangerously calm.

Korea's cheeks bleed into a rosy red color. Well of course it didn't sound good when you said it like that. It made him seem like a little kid. "I, uh, I…. Well I didn't exactly know what I was supposed to do okay?" He puffed out his cheeks in indignation, look very much like a petulant blowfish.

All of a sudden China burst out laughing, the kind of laughter that he hardly ever heard from his beloved brother. It was loud and chimed through the air like a thousand tingling bells. It was beautiful.

"You're such a kid aru. Oh this is rich!" But it was at Korea's expense so the beauty of the situation was lost on him.

"It's not my fault! I didn't know what to do!" He protested trying to sooth his wounded pride.

But China just keep right on laughing, now laying down on the grassy shore too. His chest spasmed from the effort it took to breathe while laughing so hard.

"Stop laughing it's not that funny!"

'_He's crying from laughter!' _Korea thought embarrassed. Had his left hand not been clutched in China's he would have folded his arms across his chest and pouted. Here he thought he was saving the honor of his only first kiss for his aniki, only to find out that it made him look like a big baby.

Korea hated looking like a child.

"Well, if you're so good at it than you should teach me!" He spit out petulantly without really thinking about the ramifications, or the double meaning, of what he was saying.

Yao noticed though. In fact he had had several dreams were Korea had something to the same effect. A jolt of desire ran through his body causing him to immediately stop laughing. He sat up and pinned him down with such an intense gaze that he could practically see the shiver that coursed through Korea.

"What did you say aru?" His voice was thicker than Yong Soo remembered and his eyes were burning with something strange, something that made his body itch. _'But in a good way.' _he reassured himself.

Almost shyly Korea looked away from his brother, suddenly realizing just what his statement meant. For a moment he was afraid, he did not like not knowing how to do things, he preferred to muddle his way through until he figured it out. That was his normal style. But that wouldn't work for something like this.

And he didn't want to wander blindly through anything where China was concerned.

As long as he could remember there had been a voice in his head telling him that he loved China with all his heart. It was an absolute unwavering fact in his eyes. Yong Soo had known from the moment he had laid eyes on him on that freezing mountain all those many years ago. Something primal and instinctual had just clicked. It was fate.

'_You are connected by red heart strings.' _The light cooing voice in his heart whispered sweetly. _'Everything you have been through, each and every step has led you closer to him, slowly untangling the thread and becoming clearer. This is your own way, do you really want to squander it?' _Korea liked that voice a lot right now. It made him surer in his own actions.

Boldly he takes a step forward, bringing them nearly flush together. "Teach me aniki."

* * *

China gulped nervously, unsure how to proceed. How should one respond when someone asked them to 'teach' them how to do something so personal and blatantly sexual? There wasn't even the thin veil of platonic brotherhood to hide behind anymore.

They had all but ripped that from its hangings.

With a shaky breath, China pulled his hands from Korea's death grip. "Don't be so rough aru." It was obvious that he was nervous as well.

While this with was not China's first romantic experience, not by a long shot, it still filled his stomach with butterflies. This was much different than any of his other previous 'relationships.' Those were all political treaties and strengthening ties, while this was something much more precious, something he actually wanted.

Oh, how badly he wanted it.

Yao brought Korea's hand to his face, leaning into his rough palm and speaking against the pad of his thumb. "Be gentle." He felt the tremble in his brother's heartbeat.

Yong Soo nodded shakily, running the tips of his fingers along his brother's jaw line, tickling the sensitive patch of skin behind his ear making Yao suck in air at the explorative contact.

His own small hand traveled to do the same in return. Relishing in the way his movement slowed ever so slightly whenever he touched too soft. "Explore a bit, don't be so skittish aru." To prove his point he ran his fingers through Korea's short hair, nail scrapping over his scalp lightly, making the young nation shudder.

Korea tried this as well with less than desirable results. In his nervousness he pulled a bit too hard on the small man's sensitive scalp, causing Yao to cringe. "Ow, not so hard."

Yong Soo paled. "I'm sorry aniki, are you okay? Did I hurt yo-"

China put a finger to his lips. "Calm down aru. It's fine. We'll try something else aru. Okay?" Korea nodded, quickly turning his attention back to whatever he was going to instruct him to do. His stomach did flip flops at the eager look in his eyes. Dear god, this boy was going to be the end of him.

"I'm going to kiss you now, so don't freak out aru" A nod. "Pay attention, and try to copy what I do." Another nod.

This was crazy, he thought while planting his lips softly against Korea's for the second time. Yao moved his lips just a tiny bit, as not to overwhelm him again, despite his body's cry for him to increase the contact, to bring them closer, to do so many other things.

This entire thing was completely ludicrous; it went against everything he had forced himself to believe throughout the years. But the line he had drawn between himself and Yong Soo was thin and now being thoroughly trampled on.

God, this was wrong, but he could feel the heart strings pull tighter and tighter, making him unable to stop.

Ironically, it was the realization that he never wanted to stop that caused to pull back and gauge the other's reaction. Korea's eyes were closed, face tilted forward, lips slightly parted, overall looking adorable. China fought the urge to laugh knowing it would upset him again.

Yong Soo opened his eyes with a flutter of eyelids, looking dazed for a moment, but he faced China with something akin to excitement in his eyes. "Is it my turn now?"

Yao rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Fine, your turn aru. Don't be too-" He wasn't even halfway finished with his sentence before Korea's lips captured his own.

If nothing else, Korea was a quick learner and what he didn't exactly know, he made up along the way. Yao sighed when he ran his fingers through his hair again, this time gentle and teasing. The kiss itself wasn't magical in its own right, it just a simple press of lips against his own lips, but it still touched something deep within him.

"Was that okay aniki?" Korea asked, resting their foreheads together and breathing in each other's air. The act was oddly more intimate the kiss had been.

"Yeah, it was good aru." He sensed Yong Soo's pride building up already. "Don't get too cocky aru; you've got a long way to go." He had raised this boy, and he knew he had to smack down his ego before it got the better of him.

Their next kiss was not so chaste, nor so innocent. In fact, he could have sworn he heard Korea let out a whimper when he ran his tongue over the seam of his lips. Yao smirked inwardly at his shock but found it terribly amusing that Korea, eternal braggart of his own skills, was unsure of what to do. He tried to gently lead him, nibbling on his fuller bottom lip in an attempt to convince him it to open his mouth just a tiny bit.

Eventually he figured out the message, parting his now swollen lips, giving Yao all the invitation he needed to delve in and explore the unknown territory. Korea's hands clutched at his shoulders, holding on for what seemed like dear life as he plundered his mouth, twinning and curling their tongues together, coxing the younger nation to respond in kind.

And respond he did, shyly at first; hesitantly slanting his mouth over China's testing the waters. Yao let out a small groan in appreciation along with faintly trailing the tips of his fingers down the younger nation's neck setting the hairs there on edge.

With much effort Yao pulled himself back, leaving another chaste kiss on Yong Soo's mouth. "Did you get all of that aru?" He asked, his breathing ragged.

Korea looked at him with a glazed stare that drifted from his face and back down to his lips as if he was having a hard time deciding which he was supposed to respond to. "I dunno," His voice was thicker and deeper than before, taking on a rather alluring quality to it. Yao once again fought the urge to completely ravage the younger nation, consequences be damned. "We should try again, just to make sure and all."

China licked his lips unconsciously, already envisioning where this would undoubtedly lead. He should stop, they should stop. But each kiss, each flux of breathing coupled with sighs and groans, each tremble of flesh on heated flesh, clouded his mind. If he kept chancing it and allowing himself to indulge his own desires, to take advantage of Yong Soo's affection, then he may not be able to stop himself. He was the adult here he shouldn't keep encouraging the boy.

He was using him, not matter how you looked at it.

With that sobering thought, he retreated from the near frantic kiss, trying to calm his own breathing. "Yong Soo we can't do thi-"

"I'm not a little kid anymore aniki."

'_You're telling me aru' _he though sardonically. Yao released his grip on Yong Soo's hair and willed himself to walk away before he did something he wished he'd hadn't, something that would tear his pride to shreds.

"That doesn't matter aru. We're brothers, this is wrong." He began the walk back to the house, both beating himself up for letting things spiral out of control and patting himself on the back for stopping when he did.

He would never have a moments peace now, not after that. Not after finally experiencing what had plagued his mind for years now. He doubted he'd ever be able to look at that lake the same way again.

'_Tian, what in the world was I thinking?' _he berated himself as he entered their home again, slamming the door shut behind him. He wasn't thinking and that was the problem. When it came to his youngest brother, he had a long track record of not thinking rationally.

If China hated one thing most in the world, it was people who failed to think ahead and see the consequences of their actions. _'I've completely lost my mind aru. I don't think I can handle being around him anymore, not after all of…that.' _He pushed the images of their torrid actions from his brain, or at least tried to.

It just kept on replaying in his mind, as if on loop. How long had he imagined doing those things? For too long now, that was for sure. He was far from proud of his traitorous hearts wants, but was it really so horrible to act on those wants his Korea apparently wanted it just as much?

'Yes, it is. Don't try to excuse yourself Yao,' He scolded himself, 'Just stop thinking about it!' Just then he heard the door open behind him. "Aniki!" Unsurprisingly, Yong Soo had followed after him.

Cursing silently, Yao made a beeline for his room.

* * *

"Aniki, Wait! Aniki listen to me! !" He yelled, running through the narrow hallways that he had literally spent his entire life around. China only responded by walking a bit faster.

"Yao, wait!" China stopped in the middle of the hallway, dead in his tracks. Korea never called him by his name, it was always, aniki, or Hyung-nim. Calling him by his human named seemed to strike a nerve with the petite man.

Still not facing the younger nation, China heaves a heavy sigh and his composure seems to deflate. "What do you want from me Korea? I'm trying to save you."

The Yong Soo tilts his head to the side, not understanding what his brother was babbling on about now. "Save me from what?" he asks incredulously.

China whips around angrily. "Can you really be that dense aru? Don't you get it? I'm using you!" He yelled, clenching his fists at his sides to stop himself from doing something that he'd regret later.

"This again? Really Da-ze?"

He groaned in annoyance, and Yao would have yelled even more if Yong Soo hadn't started untying the long fabric to his jeogori.

The boy hears China suck in air and begins to trip over his words, a sure sign that he was about to freak out, but Korea didn't let him get that far. "I get that your trying to be honorable all, I really do." He starts to shrug out of the blue vest, tossing it carelessly on the paneled floor.

Yao's eyes are the size of dinner plates. "Y-Yong Soo, w-what are you doing aru, p-put your clo-"

"And you've probably done this hundreds of times." He begins fiddling with the tie that kept his thin white under robe on. "And I know that I'm kinda young and I'm not that good at this kind of stuff. I can admit it."

His collar has loosened to the point that his robe reveled the porcelain pale skin of his shoulder blades nearly completely. "S-stop being so vulgar aru!" Yao whines, still trying to preserve some of his dignity. He fails miserably, unable to tear his eyes away from the shirt that keeps dipping lower and lower and lower and-

"But I want to be. I want to be good at this, with you. Because I'm Korea and I'm good at everything I do. So show me." Yao tries to calm himself down, the is air suddenly a lot thicker than it was a few minutes ago.

"Teach me Yao."

The elder nation gulps nervously and takes a step back, his body hot and bothered by all the things and feelings that were bombarding him. "Stop, Yong Soo."

"If your using me then fine. Use me."

"Please, You have no idea what you're asking aru. Stop, stop now befor-"

With a fierceness that amazes him, Korea tares the rest of his robe off, leaving him in nothing but his white chima pants. He takes China's hand and places it on the flat plane of his bare chest.

Yao's mouth goes completely dry at the contact. He feels Yong Soo's heart beat franticly under his finger tips. The young nation's eyes are fiercely determined and captivate him, unable to even think of looking away, his attention is raptly focused on his brother once more.

With his voice strained and uncharacteristically raw, Korea rasps out, panting desperately, "Please, take me aniki."

Unable to deny the surge of desire Yong Soo's breathy needy plea evokes in him any longer, Yao harshly pushes the boy against the corridor wall and crushes their mouths together in a sensuous clash of lips, tongue and sighs.

'_Natural order be damned aru….'_

* * *

Yong Soo wakes up feeling extremely warm and cozy, almost too cozy. The silken blankets covering him stick to his humid bare skin, making him shift uncomfortably.

Sleepily his eyelids flutter open. Everything is blurry and out of focus making it difficult to see anything from all the light streaming through the long window. He must have forgotten to shut the stupid curtains.

'_Was it all a dream again?' _he wonders with resigned sadness. He should have known it was a dream. It was always turned out to be a dre-

Wait a minute.

He didn't have a long window in his room. And he most certainly didn't have curtains to forget to close either. In fact the only room in the house that had curtains was Ch-

Then he felt the cool finger tips against his forehead, pushing his hair away from his sweat soaked brow. Yong Soo blinks rapidly to try and clear the blurriness.

And when he does, he sees China smiling at him softly, lovingly. Korea realizes that his head is resting in his brother's lap meaning that Yao had to have been awake for some time already. He blushes lightly, the reality of the situation sinking in for the first time. When the elder nation sees his flushed cheeks he leans down and leaves a chaste closed mouth kiss on his lips. "Good morning aru."

Yong Soo is unable to think of any kind of response that would express just what he's feeling. It wasn't a dream after all! This was just too perfect for words. How many times had Korea dreamed of waking up next to his brother and not having to fight him for affection? How long had he wished for China to look at him with such a tender gaze?

His entire life.

"I love you."

The words spill from his lips before he is able to stop them. He has always known that he loved his brother, but this was the first time he'd ever told China this out loud. Korea sits up, the silky red sheets pooling at his waist, and gulps as he waits for his brother to scoff and tell him to quit being childish. He is ready for rejection, he expects rejection.

But it doesn't come. Instead China merely takes his face in both of his hands and pulls him into a slow deep kiss. Dreamily he accepts the kiss.

To his further delight, when they pull away for fresh air, Yao pulls him into an embrace. Automatically, Yong Soo returns the hug, cherishing the contact. He swears he hears Yao's breathing hitch for a moment and goes to ask what is wrong, but he is halted my his brother's uncharacteristically sentimental voice.

"I love you too Yong Soo. More than you'll ever know." Korea fought the tears that welled up in his eyes, he was the amazing Korea, he didn't cry even if he wanted to squeal like a little girl at his lovers' (Oh how he loved the way that sounded when applied to them- Lovers.) words.

"We are connected by fate aru." He was on cloud nine. His heart raced and he could actually hear the blood rushing through his veins. He was loved in return.

China pulled away, making sure that Korea looked him straight in the eye. "Do you understand that Yong Soo?" He nodded, a stupid grin plastered to his face. Again, China held him close, clutching at his back almost desperately. "We are connected by heartstrings, you must never forget that. We are tied together. Promise me you won't forget that aru." Yao's voice held a strange edge to it, nothing like the sweetly indulgent tone from a few moments before. Even through his euphoria Korea knew something was amiss.

"What are you talking about? How could I ever forget something like that aniki?"

"Promise me!" China demanded, ignoring the boy's teasing tone altogether.

Korea felt his heart constrict painfully and he shook himself out of the embrace. China clenched his jaw tightly, trying to keep his composure. The effort was in vain, for he could see the tears that were beginning to spring from the corner of his beloved brother's eyes. "I….I promise."

Yao nodded resolutely.

"Hyung-nim what's wrong?" He asked, calling him Hyung-nim in hopes that it would sway Yao to explain. He had always loved it when he called him that after all. But the title just made the Chinese man cringe.

In an eerie pantomime of what they had done last night, Yao laced his arms around his shoulders, letting his breath fan over his collarbone, his bare neck and finally whispered ever so sweetly into his brother's ear.

"I'm sending you back to Korea aru, to govern yourself."

Yong Soo's throat went dry with a choked gasp. And he was certain that his poor heart completely shattered into a million little unfixable pieces.

* * *

**Notes;**

**i. ****Xia**- Literally meaning big. Present day China was called this in some of the earliest written records on the planet.

ii. **Red thread of Fate**- An ancient belief in many Asian cultures that says that soul mates were connected by an invisible red thread. Later traditions would have it tied on the pinky.

iii. **'Shining Prince' **- The story that Japan tells Kiku about is 'Genji no Monogatari,' or 'The Tale of Genji' It is considered the worlds first novel and is the story of a good looking prince whose philandering causes much heartache for all involved. Ironically, China's human name, Yao Wang, means 'Shining King' This will not be the last time you see Genji referenced in this story.

iv. **Tian**- Chinese for 'heavens'

v. **Jeogori-** Jeogori is the jacket/vest portion on both male and female hanboks.

vi. **Chima pants**- Chima are the fluffy skirt on a young girl's hanbok. Korea's canon outfit is a mix of the female and male styles making it a bit difficult to distingish the parts. He clearly has pants but there is also a strange skirt portion as well. You'll have to bare with me.

* * *

This chapter killed me. Both in the horribly sad ending and in all the sexy time parts. And in the end I couldn't manage to make myself write the damn sex scene. I really wanted one in the story too…. No amazing China/Korea lemons makes me sad.

Anyway, I'm sure you all hate me for the cliffhanger, but you know what will make you feel much better about it? Writing me a passionate/enraged review, telling me all about your conflicting feelings / Brooklyn Rage.

Reviewing solves **everything. **

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next chapter preview:_

"_Yao~!" Ivan yells "Wait, you don't know what's happe-"_

_He doesn't wait though, he knows Yong Soo's voice anywhere and he's not about to let him down again._

_The irony of the situation was not lost on China, not for a moment. He had found Yong Soo crying on a mountain top screaming for help when he was only a child, and now so many years later, he finds Korea crying yet again only there is no snow._

_There is blood instead._


	6. VI Part one Sloth

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 6(a) of 7

V. Sloth

_"Am I to be cast aside then, when I never had any serious rival? Still, perhaps he will not really cut me off entirely, but even so, all these years of keeping me so close to him when nothing about me required him to do so… It could only turn to slights and condescension. Surely it is but a temporary dalliance and after so long he has come to take my heart for granted. Tis nothing more."_

_-The Tale of Genji, Murasaki, p.368_

* * *

Yong Soo had sent another letter.

It looked just the same as the rest of them, plain, off white, a few stamps and his human name written in neat characters on the front. He had sent many letters over the years, so many, many letters. Most of them where thick and packed to the brim, but this one was different.

This letter was as light as a feather and that scared him more than anything. Had he finally given up? Yao had waited, even hoped for this day, but now that he held the letter he wasn't so sure. It just looked so frail, so hopeless, and as light as it was, it weighted as much as a ton on his conscious.

Korea had sent hundreds of letters in the years they had been apart, at least once a week, every week, for near fifty years. And China had not read any of them.

Not a one.

He couldn't bring himself to break their seals, to tear the creamy paper, to risk cracking the wall he had built around himself since that day.

And more importantly he feared what would happen if he did read one. It was already well known in his heart, mind and soul that he was liable to do very stupid things whenever Yong Soo was involved. The young nation made him reckless, he made him challenge what he had always believed. Yao knew ever since the first letter arrived that they were dangerous to his plan. He didn't want to risk reading the letters and then rushing to see the boy, no young man now.

Korea had probably grown even more by now, and he was almost sure he would be taller than him. He had always grown so quickly….

China forced himself to stop his train of thought. He had his own issues to worry about, his country was in turmoil, trying to find a balance between the new system and the old system, and he had more important things to think about than Korea.

So why couldn't he tear his eyes away from the frail letter?

"What's that China?"

At the sound of the other man's voice Yao nearly jumped, there was something unsettling about the idea of sharing Yong Soo with Ivan, even if was only a pathetic letter. He was grateful to Ivan, who was his only friend these days. And the two shared nearly everything, but Yao was reluctant to say anything about the youngest nation that had lived in his house. He wanted to keep that to himself. "Nothing aru. Just a letter from my brother."

The taller blonde cocked his head to the side, confused. "Japan? I thought you were not on good terms with him?"

His statement was true; Japan and he were not exactly talking to each other right now. They both had too much to do and that simply did not leave room for family pleasantries. Besides, the air between them was thick with pain. They had both done such horrible things in the name of winning a war that neither really won.

But that was neither here nor there, and his failing bond with his other brothers was yet another thing he didn't want to think about. It seemed that the adage 'Out of sight out of mind.' rang true.

"It is from my other brother." He answered solemnly.

Immediately Yao was unnerved by Russia's smile. Despite their new fond closeness thank to political ties, the man still still rubbed him the wrong way sometimes. It was clear that he was not exactly stable, but beggars can't be choosers, and Ivan was the only friend he really had left. "Немного Korea? I'm surprised he can write letters at all. бедняжка, He must really love you Yao~."

Alarm bells went off in China's head. "How do you know of Korea aru?" Ivan should have little to no knowledge of Korea, most other European nations shouldn't either. He had only taken him to a couple of meetings when he was younger and that was years ago. Korea's status should be of no concern to anyone else, least of all nosy Europeans who loved to stick their noses where they do not belong.

Provided he hadn't gone to very many summits lately, but he was sure someone would have mentioned something. Especially if it was important, or about Korea. They knew the boy was practically his shadow when he was young, and even if they had no idea the extent of their relationship, he was sure someone would have mentioned if he was in serious trouble.

"Everyone does now." Russia looked at him, his violet eyes filled with honest questioning. Yao felt his blood run cold.

"What do you mean by everyone does?" His voice shook the smallest bit. No one should have any concerns with Yong Soo. His government was watching after him, even while they were going about their very own cultural revolution. He wouldn't leave him by himself, even if he refused to see him in person.

He was fine. He had to be.

"You haven't left here very much, da?" The question was rhetorical, both of them knew that after the war, Yao had stayed to himself, rarely leaving his home and doing business by letter. "How long has it been since his last letter?"

China did not answer, only looking at the ornate box at his feet where he kept his brother's letters. There were hundreds of them. Hundreds. And he hadn't read a single one. Russia followed his gaze and quickly looked at a few, the dates going as far back as 1914. The year was now 1950.

"You really don't know do you?" He asked with an air of disbelief.

Russia may not have been the most gentle and feeling motivated nation out there, but he knew that it was unlike China to shut himself off from his sibling nations. The tiny man was a nurturer by nature. He was the mothering type and the sibling in question was no different, in fact if he had to guess which one of the Asian nations was his favorite, he surely would had answered Korea.

He remembered the energetic young nation very well, eternally following China through meeting hallways, always clutching onto China is someway, whither it be his hand, his shirt, or his hair, Yong Soo and Yao were nearly inseparable when the child was younger. Until that one morning maybe fifty years ago.

He had come over to talk about the tensions rising in Europe, only to find the tiny Chinese man sitting in the door way to a small blue decorated room. He barely looked at him, his eyes watching closely, as if waiting for someone to suddenly appear in the space. Ivan had jokingly said 'There's no one in the room, why are you so scared to go in~?'

China had turned to look at him for the first time, his eyes puffy and red from what he was sure were tears. Ivan had never seen the strong, unyielding China cry before. 'I can't go in aru. There are too many ghosts.'

Ivan shrugged the memory away, to this day it made him uncomfortable. He did not like to remember things like that, there were too many sad things happening in the present to focus on the sadness from the past. "There's been a conflict." He answered testing the chinamen's knowledge on the subject.

Yao scoffed. It couldn't be anything important; if it was than he would have heard about it. He was getting all worked up over nothing. Yong Soo had probably pissed off some little nation and was now trying to get his attention. That had to be it. "What did Yong Soo do?"

Ivan cocked his head to the side, genuine sadness shining through his violet eyes. China gulped, if Russia and his strange sense of right and wrong were concerned than it this was much, much worse than he had ever imagined.

"It's civil war," He starts off, searching for the words to get his point across. Yao's heart promptly stopped beating. Ivan takes his silence as a cue to continue. "-Only it's turned into an international affair. Everyone has their hands covered in Немного Korea's blood. How could you not know?"

It takes every ounce of strength he possesses to keep from passing out. _'Tian, what have I done aru…'_

* * *

"_I'm sending you back to Korea aru, to govern yourself."_

_He felt Yong Soo withdraw completely, maybe not physically, but emotionally. His body stiffened and he could feel his jugular beat erratically through his bare neck. A choked gasp tore through his lips and flustered his hair. _

_Yao felt sick._

"_W-when?"_

_Nuzzling into his neck, trying to pretend this really was just a tender exchange between lovers, because that's what they were now- lovers. They crossed the line. Rather they obliterated the line. He could have stopped this from happening, but he was unable to stop himself._

_He had always forsaken the rules when Korea was concerned. _

"_Tonight."_

_He had to send him away; he had to protect him from everything that was wrong in the world, including himself. China tried not to think to hard about the cold saline tears that were now falling in a downpour, dripping down his face, his neck, his chest, everywhere. He tried not to feel anything as Korea cried, no cried wasn't a strong enough word, Korea sobbed, heart wrenching, gut churning, hysterically cried over the news._

"_No!, A-aniki, tell me your joking, it isn't funny to play such a mean joke on me!"_

"_I'm not joking Yong Soo."_

"_Please aniki, don't do this. You can't send me back! Please I'm sorry if I did anything wrong, just don't make me leave. Please!" He cried into the hollow of his shoulders, body trembling like a leaf in the wind. _

"_How can you do this to me? I love you aniki! How could you do such a cruel thing….?" He cries at the top of his lungs. Yao says nothing and wills his heart to steel over now, because it is pure torture to have to listen to his precious little brother's crying over something he did._

'_I'm saving you. I won't allow you to stay here and be dragged into this war aru. I can't concentrate with you here, don't you get it? I can't afford to be distracted this war is going to be different; I can feel it in my bones aru. I can't coddle you Yong Soo, no matter how much I want to. _

_You'll be safer in your own nation surrounded by people who have your best interests in mind aru. No matter what you said and no matter how willing you may have been, I should have never of crossed that line aru. This is about more than my desires, or yours. I can't be selfish, not this time.'_

_His soul ached as he let his hands fall from Yong Soo's naked shoulders. They hang limply at his sides and he allowed Korea to shake him, to try and make him change his mind. He does nothing, he says nothing, his entire body felt numb._

_Yao vaguely wondered if this is was what dying felt like._

* * *

Only hours later, they are sitting in small dinky plane, their destination Korea. It is only after they are in the air that Yao feels brave enough to open the first letter and finally read what his brother had wrote.

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

I don't understand you at all.

I can't understand why you sent me away, or why you wouldn't even look at me when I left. I still think you make everything too difficult is it so hard to let yourself be happy?"

China knows that this is why he didn't read the letters. He couldn't have ever read them without running to Korea to take his brother back, like he was doing now. One sentence and his heart ached, but he delved back into the letters.

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

I miss you so much. Everything is different here. Not bad, but different.

Everything is new, but at the same time it feels like I've known it my entire life. The people and the food, the streets and even the slang, it feels like it's a part of me. Is this how it feels to be a fully fledged nation? I think I sort of get what the big deal is now.

The only other time I've ever felt so right, so perfectly in place, is when I'm with you."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

Why didn't we ever go to Korea before?

Don't get me wrong, I still want to come home to you, in fact I'm kind of hoping that this is just some weird punishment thing for us doing it.-"

Yao blushed to the roots of his hair. He should have known Yong Soo would take something he tried so very hard not to think about and turn it into something crash. He fought down the pang of heartsick for the boy and his impish ways and kept reading.

"-and don't blush like that you big prude. I'm really upset about it. But that's beside the point, we can talk about that later when you come and take me home. The point is that I really wish you could see it here. It's different than reading about it or seeing pictures. I feel so connected to everything, this is my homeland.

Is this what China feels like for you?"

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

The people who run me say I should never have stayed with you so long. They're all idiots so I don't really take them seriously. I'm happy I grew up with you and that's all that matters. I'll be back with you soon enough, right?

It's weird; I have to learn everything over again. I have to write in Korean which is like kanji but all circle-y. They said that we invented it first, is that true? Probably. I can teach you when you come and take me back home.

It's starting to get really cold here; I wish I was back home with you and your thick blankets. Even though I only got to sleep with them once, they were really comfy."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

It's been a year, why haven't you wrote back? Or better yet, why haven't you come for me? Are you really that mad? I told you I don't mind, I wanted you just as much as you wanted me and we both know it.

I miss you, and if you come and take me back home then I promise I won't annoy you too much okay?"

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

It's been two years. You're not coming to get me are you?"

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

I wish you would answer me. I'm not sure what to do. My shoulders and back have begun to hurt again and I don't know how to make them stop.

When I was little you used to rub my back for me and sing. But there's no one to do that now. The people here are nice and the lady who lives near me keeps giving me things to help my pain, but nothing seems to help. I think you'd help me feel better most."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

There is unrest. Lately there is speculation that we'll get dragged into this Great War thing. I don't really want to, you know I don't really like fighting all that much, but I know you're involved. How is everything? You're not too hurt are you?

My boss is saying that people are upset with things, that the war should allow us to make money by selling supplies and food, but we're not. I'm sure he told me why but I'm just not used to all this political stuff. You were usually there to explain it all to me, but that's kind of out of the question right now.

I'm just asking for a letter back, I'm lonely."

* * *

That was the last of what Yao called 'the hope letters.' He found that most of the early letters were like this, talking about his land, his people, the politicians that bugged him and asking him to come take him home. Most of the letters were like that, Korea trying to be hopeful and looking on the bright side.

He signed each letter the same way._ 'Come and get me soon da-ze! Love, Im Yong Soo.'_

But after 1924 the letters grew more and more lifeless. They weren't as pretty, less planned out, more like diary entries. Yong Soo stopped writing about his lessons and about how much he loved his country, he started losing faith.

These were the hardest letters to read, because he could have intervened if only he had read them sooner. It killed him to know that his once tiny, peace loving childish Korea had been held captive by his siblings while he did nothing to help.

Numbly, China read on.

* * *

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

Japan is all around me. Not literally, I haven't seen Kiku since that day in your storage room but, I'm sure he'll figure out I'm here soon enough.

His officials are already here, annoying me. They call me mean things in Japanese, I can't prove it because I don't speak it, but nothing can be said nicely when they're looking at me like a caged zoo animal.

It's not all surprising; I got a crash course in my history over the last few years. Japan has been weaving his way into my culture for a long time, before I got here even. My people don't like it. His officials say that we should now consider ourselves as Japanese. Fat chance of that happening.

I may not have been here long but I do know that my people are Korean through and through and Kiku can't take that away."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

Kiku is here.

He seems even colder than before which is saying something. He called me to his house, which is on my land, for a 'meeting'. I use the term lightly, it wasn't a meeting so much as it was him demanding I sign a bunch of papers saying that I'm apart of the Japanese empire.

I didn't want to sign them aniki, I really didn't. But what could I do when he's already rounded up so many of my men, taking them heavens knows where? I just don't want anymore fighting. There is already enough of that here as it is.

When the meeting was over, I tried to leave as quickly as I could, I wanted to go back home and take a bath. Signing those papers made me feel dirty and soiled.

He wouldn't let me leave until I called him Oni-sama. Of everything, that was the biggest insult. Not only to call him big brother but to call him it in the tongue that was ruining everything in my homeland? I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't allow myself to fall so low.

Still, I ended up bowing and thanking him for watching out for me. I wished I were dead the moment I let the words 'oni-sama' slip off my tongue."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

People are fighting in my country, trying to decide a new government system I think. Bad timing if you ask me, we should be more concerned about the big war thing going on and Kiku's ridiculous idea that we are under his rule, and then we can worry about officials, who are all pretty useless anyway.

How are things with you? My ability to get news is pretty limited, especially about you. Getting solid information is hard, but Taiwan has been helping me a little. She's older than when I last saw her last and even though she doesn't like you, which is an understatement, she really, really hates you, but she has more freedom to move around then I do because Kiku trusts her.

The only good thing to come from this occupation is the chance that Kiku is the one keeping your letters from me. It's better than thinking that you don't care enough to write back and I wouldn't put it past him. Japan is petrified that you'll catch wind of what's happening here and try to rescue me.

I couldn't help but laugh when he said that. I'm not some princess in a tower. I'll go my own way and I don't need anyone to save me. I can get through this da-ze.

I can."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

My only company now a days in Taiwan, who is under Kiku's influence. I know she's my sister and all but I can't seem to connect with her the same way I did with you. It's not that I don't like her, she's the only one that visits me anymore and she's really pretty, but she's not you.

She's asked if we can establish ties together, so that we'll be united against being ruled over by anyone now that the 'great war' is over. But I'm not so sure of her sincerity. My boss says she's in contract with Japan and there's always the fact that she hates you.

We're siblings, shouldn't that mean something? Why is it so hard to trust someone who is family?"

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

Awhile back I planted a bed of lilies and wisterias in the ground behind my house. I know how much you liked them and I thought that if I can't talk to you than I could at least have things around me that reminded me of you.

The lilies grow stronger everyday and the wisterias have started to creep up the sides of the house.

A few days ago Kiku noticed them and found them amusing.

He said it was interesting that I liked the wisteria and that he knew of a story in which a prince became enchanted by a child and named her after the flower. But more importantly the child was named after his first love, whose name was also a purple flower.

Kiku says that I remind him of the little girl, Murasaki. He asked me to grow violets as well because they fit me better. I'm not sure. Kiku asking anything nicely, makes me nervous.

Do you know the story aniki?"

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

I ended up growing the violets after all. In a weird show of kindness, Kiku brought me the seeds from Europe. It seemed important to him that they were all in the same flower bed together. I think it means more to him then just petals. I think they remind him of us.

The lilies are tall and stand guard over the small violets which stay close to their protectors, while the wisteria's watch from afar, creeping up the walls and fences.

Somehow, the lilies, wisterias and violets all manage to grow together without destroying one another.

I wish it was only that easy."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

It's been nearly 12 years since I last saw you. I miss you. Terribly. My only companion is Taiwan and I don't think she cares for me all that much. But Kiku wants my cooperation, so she's trying.

She says I remind her of you a lot.

Which isn't necessarily a good thing. She doesn't like you, and unlike much of everything else she does, it's not because Kiku doesn't either. Meimei really can't stand you. It makes things awkward sometimes.

She says that I talk just like you, that she half expects me to start adding 'aru' to the end of everything. When we eat together she always notes that I eat like you do, I never noticed before, but I guess she's right.

Meimei makes this weird face whenever I talk about you, as if she can't imagine that I'm really talking about you. She asks me why I still write to you, after what you did to me. I've told her about it, I just needed someone to listen and Meimei was there. I hope you don't mind.

'You don't know him like I know him. He can be so infuriatingly stubborn, so controlling. He's not so wonderful, you of all people should know that Soo-Soo.' That's what she calls me. It don't mind it all that much.

She tells me that you'll never write back, that I'm wasting my time. I don't want her to be right.

I hate it when she's right."

_Dear Hyung-nim,_

I planted a Maesil tree in the garden for Meimei.

She smiled so brightly, It was like looking at a completely different person. She thinks I should plant more flowers one for the rest of the family. I think I should too, so that in a small way we can all be together."

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

Taiwan kissed me today.

The kiss itself wasn't so horrible, in fact it was nice to be reminded that I'm actually loved. But that was the thing, I knew it wasn't because she loved me, she loves Kiku, everyone knows that. And that's what made me miss you all the more. Kissing Meimei wasn't anything like being with you. There was no warmth, no tremble, just lips against lips. Still I could have lived with just that. It was what she asked afterwards that made me throw her out.

Kiku is gearing up for war again and she wants me to help him. I screamed at her to leave, that she couldn't just use me like that.

Kiku has done such horrible things to me aniki; you can't imagine the things I've seen, what my people have had to go through ever since he took over. We can barely speak our own language anymore, because he has them arrested and shipped away to heaven knows where. My people have a hard time supporting themselves without having to deal with Kiku being an imperial asshole!

And I have to live with a fact that one of my brother's hates me, my sister is trying to use me get into his pants while the other brother tells me he loves me and then ships me away because he can't be bothered!

Why haven't you done anything? I can't handle this all on my own; I don't know what to do aniki, why won't you just answer me? I know I said I didn't need help, but I was wrong. I can't do this without you China. It's been decades now, decades, I know that isn't much time to nations but it still means something to me.

Was being with me that horrible?"

* * *

'_No Yong Soo, being with you was anything but horrible.' _He thinks as he sets the letter down on his lap. He stares straight ahead, letting all of the things he had just read wash over him.

Korea had been miserable. Not only that, he had been taken as a war prize, from a war he himself had fought in. Yong Soo had spent his first years as a nation, as anything but. He was a colony under Japan and he did nothing about it.

"How didn't I know aru?" He asked quietly. It is almost impossible to hear over the roar of the noisy engine, but Ivan, who has been sitting next to him in the rickety plane while he read, heard it loud and clear.

"You didn't want to know." The Russian man said simply. It was true though, if he really wanted to know than he would have read a letter, or better yet went to see Yong Soo. Instead he stayed away, afraid of what would happen if he allowed himself to care.

Truth be told, Ivan did think it was sad. Немного Korea had been cute and energetic the few times he had met him. The peninsula nation reminded him of his little Latvia. But more importantly he knew that if they managed to get Korea back on their side, then things would go so much simpler.

Silly, Alfred and his friends were trying to delay the inevitable, there was no way that Yong Soo would choose their side over the side of his beloved brother. And Ivan genuinely liked the Chinese man, so where was the harm in interfering in their private matter? He got another ally and China got his pretty little _nymphet_ back.

Everyone would win.

When Yao stares into space for over three minutes, a look of pure misery on his features Ivan wordlessly puts a hand on his small shoulder and hands him another letter. Nodding minutely, Yao throws himself back into the wave of letters.

* * *

Notes;

I. **Немного**- Russian, a condescending way to say 'little'

II. **бедняжка** - Russian, Poor little soul

III. **Oni-sama**- Japanese, Most respectful way to call someone elder brother.

IV. **Lilies, Wisterias and Violets**- Lilies are a symbol of purity, and thought to be the 'Shining flower.' Wisteria's on the other hand are a purple-blue flower that grow along walls. It is considered to be beautiful, yet hard to handle. Violets are a universal flower that is found nearly everywhere. In flower language they mean, Faithfulness, affection and ''Let's fall in love!'

V. **Murasaki**- More _Tales of Genji_ symbolism. If you recall from the previous chapter, Yao talks about the shinning prince that steals away a young girl who reminds him of his first love. Murasaki is what he names the young girl. Murasaki means violet in Japanese. While Genji's first love is a woman by the name of Lady Fujitsubo, whose name means Wisteria.

VI.** Maesil**- A plum blossom tree, they are the national flower of Taiwan, called the Mei Plum.

VII.** Nymphet**- A term coined in _'Lolita'_. The main character Humbert Humbert has a love for 'nymphets' which he describes as a child between the ages of nine and fourteen that is consciously or consciously alluring to their elders often tempting and baiting them with their actions. The book was written by a Russian man named by Vladimir Nabokov during his visits to the united states around 1948-49. I thought Ivan would liken the term to Yao and Yong Soo.

* * *

Wow, I will tell you this chapter has a bitch to write. First I had computer trouble and I had to use an old un-betaed, un updated version, which made me had to write a large chunk of it over again. Then, I realized that this chapter was monstrously huge and needed to be split into two parts. And all the Russian was mind boggling.

It was hard to pick a place to split it as well. Sorry, the bit from the last chapter preview is actually in the next chapter. It wasn't my intention to do that. Anyways, please drop a review to help keep my spirits up and I'll update as soon as I can!

Oh! If you're intrested in what inspired me, than I suggest you cheek out my profile and follow to the link to the Official Heartstrings (tm) Fan Soundtrack. It's chalk-full of the songs that have haunted me and that set the mood for these chaoters and the next two to come. Plus it's free good music! The link will be in my profile. Please tell me what you think about it!

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra

_Next chapter preview;_

"_I didn't want to hurt him aru, I didn't mean for this to happen…" Yao said weakly, voice breaking. _

_The Frenchmen glared at his once ally. "Korea cried for you every night, he's even lost a part of himself to try and be with you, out of love and you don't even care." France spat out. _

_Angrily, Yao retorted. "You can't judge me aru! You of all people know nothing about real love Francis!"_

"_I may not be a saint China, but I could never do what you did to him. 50 years with a single word after he gave himself to you, heart, soul, and body. .._ _Avez-vous non't aucune honte?"_


	7. VI Part two Acedia

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 6(b) of 7

V. Acedia

_I am tired,_

_ Beloved,of chafing my heart against_

_The want of you;_

_Of squeezing it into little inkdrops,_

_And posting it._

_-Amy Lowell, "The Letter"_

* * *

Alfred F. Jones looked up into the grey Korean sky and felt an overwhelming sense of dread. It wasn't the usual dread that came with an approaching battle; it was something much deeper, something horribly inexplicably sad.

"I don't know why but I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen today"

Beside him, the other blonde man scoffed, and rolled his eyes. "It's a war Al, something bad always happens."

The American man sighed, the breath leaving his body and deflating him a great deal. Canada was right, it was war and after all he had seen here it shouldn't have surprised him at all. In fact he should have been used to it by now.

Still…

"I dunno Mattie, this seems different, like something really horrible is going to go down today."

Matthew paused in his surveillance of the city to study his brother who was once again looking at the cloudy sky. It was strange seeing the usually bubbly nation so serious about something. No, that wasn't right. Al was always getting in the business of small nations, that wasn't something new. Still, he did it for the right reasons he supposed.

He knew his brother better than anyone and that allowed him to see his often brash military action for what it really was. Alfred honestly just wanted to help, even if it was terribly troublesome and misguided.

And something about Korea has struck a chord with him, with all of them really. The poor thing was all by himself.

"Hey, has anyone seen the little guy?" A brash voice jarred both North Americans out of their thoughts. Australia looked at them as if he was expecting Yong Soo to suddenly pop out from behind one of them.

Alfred cocked his head to the side. "I thought he was with England and France?" He asked puzzled. The sandy blonde haired man shrugged, his thick eyebrows scrunching in distaste.

"You know those two, too busy fighting to even notice."

Matthew felt the uneasiness knot in his stomach. "You don't think….." The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, hanging stale in the air. "We have to find him now, who knows what kind of mess he could get into with his condition, especially today."

The other former colonies nodded, knowing the Canadian's words to be true. Yong Soo's condition was delicate as of late to say the least. He was disappearing and blacking out more often, it took all of their combined efforts to keep him under wraps. And that last battle with Ivan had left him severely injured; they had fought tooth and nail to keep his upper half.

"Michael, go see if you can find Italy. I knew we shouldn't have left him in charge of him."

"Uh, which Italy? There's two of those little twits running around you know."

"The angry one, Lovino. He's a horrible guard, but he's a pretty good medic. Find Thailand too, he's better with Yong Soo."

"Right on it Captain!" Australia mock saluted before running back into the throngs of the chaotic Seoul. America sighed again and readjusted his glasses, stupid Texas.

"We have to go find him." rang Matthew's quiet and calming voice.

He nodded gravely. "Let's go then."

* * *

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

Remember that meeting you took me to when I was younger? That America guy was here the other day. He literally landed on my door step. He over shot his landing from his plane I think.

Either way it was the coolest thing I've ever seen.

His name is Alfred and he ended up staying a few days. It was the first time anyone that wasn't family was in my house.

He's a nice guy, he told me all about how things run in his country. It sounded pretty cool, then again anything is cooler than being here it seems.

He even told he about how things are going over in Europe, how it's getting bad and that his friends were having a hard time dealing with Germany. I've been over here for so long; I think I forgot that other nations have their own troubles.

He promises to visit again soon. I hope he does."

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

It's been raining a lot here lately. It's given me a lot of time to think about everything that's been happening here. It's not like I had a lot of places to go before the rain, Kiku doesn't really let me go anywhere, it was one of the 'conditions' he made me agree to so that I could stay in my own house. But that's not the point.

Taiwan hasn't visited me since I threw her out. And Kiku has been off fighting over in wherever. I haven't really had anyone to talk to. So I think.

I think about Tibet and how calm and neat he was. I think about that day when we visited him and I got really bad sunburn, even though you told me to be careful.

I think about Alfred and why he visits me even if he doesn't have to.

I think about why Kiku never really liked me, about why he's hurt you.

I think about why Meimei would kiss me and how she could do it, even if Kiku asked her. In a weird way I kinda get it, doing something for the one you love, even if it hurts you.

This is what I do for you.

I've put a lot of thought into it and as far as I'm concerned there are two sides. On one side I'm angry. Sometimes I'm just so completely angered by what you've done by sending me here all alone that it momentarily eclipses all my love for you brother. I know that my people have to come first and that I can't sit around waiting for you.

Yet on the other hand there is a part of me that doesn't care about all that; the people, the responsibility, the waiting. Sometimes when I think about our last night together and all the wonderful things we've been through I am so filled with the desire to see you, to be by your side, that I forget about that stuff. In those moments all I see is you, all that matters is you.

It terrifies me aniki."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

When I first came here, there was a little boy who lived near me. He was 8 when he asked me how he could impress this little girl who lived in the next village over. He reminded me of myself so much that I told him to give her flowers and to bring her tea sometimes, like I used to do with you. It's been 23 years now and they're married. They have children and have moved away, probably to work in one of Kiku's labor programs in Japan somewhere.

But that's not what makes me angry, What makes me angry is that he gets to have a life with the person he loves while I've been sitting here crying in my bedroom for 23 years hoping for a stupid letter.

It still hasn't come, and I don't think it ever will. But I won't side with Taiwan and Japan. I won't do it. Even if I means me dying in the process I won't lose my people to him."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

America visited again.

He says that it's pretty bad out there; I wish I could help, but what can I do when I'm stuck in my own house?

He tried to make me feel better. 'It's kinda cute that China isn't letting you join the war, and hiding you away. I have a brother too, his name is Mattie, but he's fighting in the war. I wish I could keep him at home, but he'd never listen to me.' He laughed heartily while my heart throbbed painfully, but I didn't tell him he was wrong. Instead I smiled the best I could.

I didn't have the heart to tell him had it all wrong."

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

It rained hard last night, harder than I've ever remember it raining both at home and here.

For some reason I couldn't take my eyes of it, the storm seemed to lull me into a sleepy trance or something. I woke up the next morning soaking wet and lying in the garden. I have no idea how I got there or why, but every single violet had been washed away in the downpour.

They're such delicate little flowers you know? They have such shallow roots and they stick to the flowers that they live by for support. They just don't stand a chance against the strong flood waters.

For some reason I couldn't stop myself from crying."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

I haven't written in months, I wanted to show you that I didn't need to write you, that I don't need you, but I couldn't do it. Writing these letters, even if you never read them, has been my only means of being with you for such a long time that to stop would mean losing a part of me as well.

Sometimes I wonder just what I did wrong. Was being with me so horrible that you needed to ignore my entire existence? How could you tell me that you loved me in one breath and in the next send me away? Did you even think of me at all?

I'm virtually powerless in my own country now that Kiku has most of my labor force. We can't really do anything, I can't help my people at all. I can't forget it no matter how many times I black out, it's always the first thing I think of, how useless I am at running my own country.

I feel so old aniki."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

Things are so bleak lately, what with another war going on.

Even Japan seems tired. I feel bad for him a bit; just few years ago he was on top of the world, but now he just looks so resigned, so old in his uniform. I don't forgive him by any means but it hurts to see him like that. He's my brother after all and will always be.

That British guy, Arthur, was here a few days ago with Alfred. He's really funny to make angry. I like it when they visit; they're only people who talk to me like I'm an actual nation, not an underling.

Alfred says the war will be over soon, that he's working on something to end the war in the pacific. I didn't even know that it was over in Europe, but news gets here pretty late.

I finally worked up the nerve to ask him about you and he says you're doing fine, he even told me this weird story about you beating up Kiku with a wok. That sounds like something you'd do. I laughed a lot, and then I started crying. Alfred freaked out and tried to cheer me up, but it was no use. My head just started hurting, and the room span.

The next thing I remember is waking up to Alfred and Arthur talking in whispers, they stopped the minute they saw I was awake though.

I asked what had happened and they exchange weird looks, and then asked me if I remembered.

I had no idea what they were talking about."

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

Something strange is going on, and I don't know what.

I woke up today in a house that I don't remember ever going too, with a large cut on my leg that I don't remember getting. I can't even begin to tell you how freaky it was, a huge part of my memory, just blank, as if I wasn't even there.

What in the world is happening to me aniki? I'm shaking as I'm writing this, please, just answer me, I'm not sure I can do this on my own."

* * *

He had always contributed it to his status as the nation of love, but France was sure that he felt things more intensely than others did. He had a way of just knowing things about people, about their feelings, about their emotions that other nations just didn't have.

It was both one of his greatest gifts and his most painful curses.

The moment he had seen little Korea ghosting China during a meeting over fifty years ago, he had known that there was a bond there. That there was more than just sibling ties binding the two together.

The way Yao kept checking the clock in the meeting hall, presumably to get back to the child who was waiting bored in his suite, the way he chided the boy when he wandered away, protective yes, but more so possessive. Yong Soo was his, and he had no desire to share him with anyone.

Of course to the other's it looked as if he was just watching after an annoying sibling, but France knew better.

And even without his keen observations, he would have known with one look at Korea. He positively radiated affection for the prudish China.

It simply broke his lover's heart to see things go so horrible wrong for him.

While Yong Soo had never told him the full extent of his 'exile' Francis was not a stupid man. He could tell that China had had his taste of the boy and then thrown him to the sidelines. He was sure there were reasons for Yao sending him away, but they in no way excused him.

France was by no means a pillar of virtue especially when it came to things like sex, he was well versed in that area of love. Yet he also knew how much such an act meant when there were true feeling involved.

How does one take something so precious as a boy's innocence without regard for the ramifications? Korea was young and he knew nothing of the carnal ways of the world, he needed to be reassured, to feel loved after such an important event as his first time.

And how had Yao reacted? He had thrown him to Kiku's feet to fend for himself.

He clenched his fists in anger. Such a heartless act, no matter how well meaning, could not be forgiven.

"Oi, France, the kid's missing again." Arthur's familiar voice broke through his thoughts. He blinked a few times, blue eyes focusing again on the real world.

It was bleak, either way.

"I suppose we should find him, non?" He forced himself to smiled.

The Englishmen reached out, the cuff of his green jacket just barely making contact with his upper arm before his hand came to rest there. The touch was enough to still Francis's movements. His hand was warm.

Arthur looked grim, even for him. "Security has spied an unmarked plane in Seoul's airspace."

"One of ours?"

A tight shake of the head. "No, the model appears to be Chinese."

France clenched his fists even tighter, he would have crescent shaped cuts on his palm in the morning. He knew what this meant, China was here. If they were going to lose Korea, it would be today.

France looked to the grey sky, it looked like it would begin pouring any minute now. "I guess we should really go find him now."

England said nothing, but surprisingly the hand on his arm did not move, it only held tighter.

* * *

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

Alfred brought his brother with him to visit me. It was strange being around so many people, but I liked it. It was like I was able to be myself again, even for a little bit. Alfred was even louder than usual and Matthew, that's his brother, kept telling him to grow up. Arthur just rolled his eyes and sifted through my tea collection.

It was like being a part of a family again."

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

Your vital regions belong to me, right?

I jokingly tell myself that, but I'm just not sure anymore. France says that I still do and he's good at all that love and touchy stuff.

I like it when he and England are here together best, they argue all the time, but I don't think they mean it.

Have I told you about Francis? I can't remember, but either way he's been visiting lately too. He's the only one who has the nerve to talk to me about you.

I think they all know that there is something wrong; I mean how could they not? If you had really 'hidden me here' like Alfred thought then wouldn't you have come for me by now?"

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

Alfred and the others left, off to Japan I guess.

It's quiet without them; usually they make sure someone is here with me. I kinda feel like a kid, with everyone watching after me like I'm going to do something crazy if I don't have a chaperone, but that's the thing.

I'm afraid I might. Who knows what happens when I black out? I apparently punched Alfred in the gut last time.

You know I would never have done that on my own aniki, I hate fighting. You of all people know that.

I hate this entire situation so much. It's bad enough I can't control what happens to my people, but there's something horribly tragic about losing control of yourself, especially if it's hurting the only friends you have."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

The war is over and for some reason I can't seem to stop thinking about Kiku.

That day he gave you your scar he told me something that I didn't want to think about. Now-a-days thinking is all I can do. He said that one day you would leave me too, that I'll understand how he feels, to be left alone and forgotten; replaced by someone else.

I don't know if I've been replaced, but when the other's think I'm not listening I hear that you've gotten really friendly with Russia…. Brother, I ache from being away from you. I ache from the power struggles all over my land. I ache for a letter that isn't going to come.

And sometimes, I just ache from aching so much."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

I can't do it on my own anymore, I've tried to be independent and make you proud, I really, really did but it's just too hard.

Everyone is fighting with everyone else. I want to make my people happy, all of them, but I just can't please everyone. There is so much to consider, and there isn't enough time. Alfred and the others have been keeping me company lately, they say that Russia wants to make friends with me. They're afraid that I'll pick him over them because he's friends with you.

I've thought about it, as much as I hate to admit it. I just want to see you brother, it's all I can think about sometimes."

* * *

Lovino Vargas was many things.

He talked big, he threatened, he intimidated, he lied, but on the inside he was a coward.

He hated confrontation, he hated dealing with people because everything he said and did always came out wrong. He accepted this, he could live with all his short comings. No matter what he did people found him off putting and compared him to his brother, his stupid air-headed little brother.

He hated when people compared him to his _fratello _more than anything.

Their grandfather had done it all the time when they were younger, always picking Feliciano over him and bringing the younger twin art and paintings from his newest conquests. Meanwhile Lovino sat at home, waiting. And did he ever acknowledge him?

No.

What did he have to do get the old man's attention every once in awhile? He was named after the him for Christ's sake! But did he ever care? No, he didn't.

"_Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother, Abel?" _

_He said, "I do not know, am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9_

With a sigh he hastily pushed his bangs out of his face, careful to avoid his curl, and went to retrieve more supplies.

He had promised Il Papa that he'd try to stop thinking negative thoughts. And he was sure that taking the Lord's name in vein counted as a 'negative' thought.

When it boiled down to it, the point was that even though Lovino had been through so much because of his brother, he could never fully bring himself to hate him. He was his brother's keeper whether he liked it or not.

Which was why he was covered in blood, grime and heaven knows what else in the middle of a war torn city in fucking Asia.

'So much for not being negative.' he thinks bitterly.

As much as he hated to admit it, he liked Yong Soo. I mean sure the kid was kinda pathetic, waiting on a letter for fifty years, but all the same, Lovino saw a lot of himself in him.

He knew that Korea was compared to Japan, yet another person who liked Feliciano more than him. He also knew that China has ditched him to fend for himself. That hit a little too close to home for Lovino's tastes.

He already watched out for his stupid twin, so he might as well look after Korea too. The kid needed someone to be his keeper more than anything else right now, and Lovino was already a master at picking up the pieces.

"Ay, are you the angry Italy?" Romano's foul temper got even worse at that. Harshly ripping a chunk of bandage off the roll he glared daggers at the thick eye-browed Australian.

"What the fuck do you think?"

He only laughed. "Yup, defiantly the angry one."

The country turned medic contemplated strangling the annoying man with the bandages, but decided against it. It would be wasting perfectly good bandages. "What the hell do you want?"

Michael's face suddenly lost it's teasing look. "Korea's escaped again. It's looking pretty bad."

"I'm in the middle of stitching people back together, go bother Thailand with that shit." He roughly shut his now restocked supplies and prepared to enter the medical tent.

"Romano, China's here."

The Italian froze. That bastard had the nerve to come here after all the shit he put Korea through? That was a pretty cruel move, after all, he had been waiting for him for fifty years. Some brother he was.

He turned back to Australia the venom was thick in his voice but not as strong as before, no he was saving that for later. "Well? Stop looking at me like an idiot and take me there!"

"_Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children." Ezekiel 25:17_

Lovino hoped that _Il __Papa _and God would forgive him for whatever 'negative' things he was going to end up doing today while being Yong Soo's keeper.

* * *

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

I've started to tell the others about you. It was hard at first, but ever since Kiku's people left it's like a weight have been lifted off me. It feels good to get the memories out of my head for once.

It's strange. I've never told them about what happened between you and me, you know, about the touchy feely sex that you apparently don't want anyone to know about? I know you never told anyone, but they all seem to know anyways.

Francis, who just maybe the coolest person ever, promises to tell me how he got the name 'the country of amour.' He says that with his advice, you'll come crawling back to me.

I can imagine you rolling your eyes and scoffing like you always did.

Alfred says that he could just tell, and Matthew says that everyone can see it when I speak about you. England and France only looked at each other and shrugged, saying that it was obvious to anyone who's ever been in love before.

Even if I'm telling them about you, they try to keep from telling me too much about you. I know they mean well, they don't want me going off the handle and blacking out, which is a possibility. Arthur thinks that there's a connection between the two, and tries to make sure it doesn't happen, but I'm not stupid.

You're on Russia's side aren't you? And not just politically either. Do you like him aniki, more than me?

Was all that talk about heartstrings and fate a lie?"

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

My people are fighting each other.

Everything hurts. Everything. Italy, one of them at least, has come. His people aren't fighting, but they're bringing medicine and doctors.

The boy's name is Lovino. He's a big cry baby and hates fighting too, not to mention he's the biggest sour puss I've ever met. He's been taking care of me, fixing me up when I come home battered and full of bruises, half of which I don't remember getting.

I've asked him why he's come here when his own people are struggling to get better from the war too. He cursed and blushed red. 'That's a stupid question. Don't worry about it, I'm fucking here so be grateful.'

Later, Matthew told me that Lovino probably felt sorry for me, that during the war his brother, his other half, had left him to be with Germany, and he had no one to help him out. I think he's helping me because there was no one there to help him.

The world is such a sad place aniki."

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

How has this happened, how did everything fall apart? A few months ago I was united and happy to be free of Japan and now….

Now I'm not. Now I'm reliant on other people to help me out of bed to fight for my own country. Now I'm not even myself. All these people, nations I've never spoken to, siblings I've never known I had, have taken pity on me and try to protect me.

Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I've lost my land, I've lost my people, I've lost you. Is there anything left worth losing?"

"_Dear Hyung-nim, _

I wonder if this is what dying feels like.

I'm so tired of all the bloodshed, the fighting, and the heartache. Sometimes I just want to fall asleep and let everything pass me by. I don't want to dream anymore either; they're all of you after all.

Australia asked why I keep writing, it's been over forty years and I haven't heard a single thing from you. He thinks that I should let you go; I'm only hurting myself when it comes down to it. I guess he's right; maybe I should stop writing these letters after all.

I write that knowing it's a lie. I couldn't stop writing you even if I wanted to. Even if you think the heart strings that tie us together are tangled and broken, I don't. You're a part of me Yao, a part I can never let go. I can't control it, it just is. Even if you hurt me, I can't stop.

Yes, I think this is what dying feels like."

"_Dear Hyung-nim,_

The blackouts are becoming more and more frequent but one of the other nations is usually there to keep me from leaving. I manage to sneak out though and come back so bruised and bloody that Lovino doesn't even know where to start.

Sometimes I wake up in bed and weeks have gone by. England says it's like I become a completely different person. That when I blackout, I still move around and talk, but it's not me. I say things that I don't remember believing and I even bit Thailand when he was trying to bandage me up. They say I scream for you all the time, crying for you to rescue me.

I don't remember any of it.

I just remember all the fighting in the streets, one side trying to kill the other, Korean against Korean. I remember feeling like I'm being ripped into two most of all.

I'm a horrible nation brother."

* * *

They are about to land when China finishes the last of the letters, leaving him only with the flimsy one. His heart felt unrelentlessly heavy with guilt.

This entire time he thought he was saving Korea from the war, the bloodshed, and the pain. But in reality he had thrown the boy to the sharks. Leaving him to fend for himself on the world's stage while he fought Japan with a stupid wok and pushed him away from his thoughts.

What kind of person does that while telling themselves that it was an action taken out of love?

Long ago he swore to himself that he would never let anything happen to the innocence that radiated from Yong Soo, that he wouldn't let him become heartless and cold like Japan, or cynical and closed off like him. He had failed his little brother.

He failed the person he loved and who loved him most.

The strings around his heart pulled tighter and tighter, and it took all of Yao's willpower just to take the few steps off the plane. There was one more letter left, but he couldn't open it now. It wouldn't make any difference anyways.

What was done was done, besides he had kept Korea waiting for long enough.

* * *

Seoul was in complete chaos.

The entire city looked as if it had been torn to bits by a monsoon, like the gods had ripped through the heart of the city and destroyed everything. The buildings were crumbling and people ran for their lives from the ruined town.

China never thought it would be this bad.

"Korea is here?" Russia asks perplexed, not understanding why Yong Soo would possibly be anywhere near a battle site. Nations generally stayed out of the battle, showing up at the end to claim victory, or to concede defeat to another nation. Most countries would not risk their entire nation in silly scrimmages.

But Yao knew Korea better than anyone, and he knew he wouldn't idly sit by as he was invaded. "He is here aru, I know it."

There is screaming everywhere, yelling and the occasional barrage of bullets, but above all of that he hears a heartbreakingly familiar wail and Yao is off, running through the city leaving Russia to catch up later.

"Yao~! Wait, you don-"

He doesn't wait though, he knows Yong Soo's voice anywhere and he's not about to let him down again.

The irony of the situation was not lost on him, not for a moment. He had found Yong Soo crying on a mountain top, screaming for help when he was only a child. And now, so many years later, he finds Korea crying yet again only this time there is no snow.

There is blood instead.

Yao watches in horror as he clutches his head in his hands, eyes screwed shut, tears streaming down his dirty face leaving clean streaks in its wake. The unfamiliar military uniform he wears is covered in blood, which judging by the lacerations and wounds still sluggishly bleeding, most of it was his own.

His baby brother, his lover, his everything, was literally dying in the streets.

'_What have I done aru…' _China speeds toward his brother, unable to make his feet listen to his mind which told him to slow down and think things through. He ignores his better judgment; he had done too much thinking his entire life, over thinking was what had gotten them here in the first place.

He runs at full speed, only 50 feet away, 40, 30, 20, 20.….

He's so close and all of a sudden he is jerked back so hard that he falls to the ground, his bottom bruising. Yao is unable to register the feeling though, he only knows that his brother is so close, and he is being held back.

"Let go." He is barely able to grit out through clenched teeth, already moving to cross those last few feet. Ivan once again held him back, his arms tightly pinned Yao to his chest, severely limiting his ability to move. "Let me go aru! Let me go! I have to see him! Yong Soo! YONG SOO!" He screamed furiously trying to wiggle out of the Russian man's grasp.

Suddenly a small brunette man is kneeling before Yong Soo, poking and prodding at his numerous wounds. In the back of his mind, Yao recognizes the man as Italia Romano, but he is hardly thinking coherently. The short asian struggles even harder. "Don't touch him aru! Leave him alone!"

Romano barely looks up, but when he does he sends him a hateful glare and then returns to his patient.

To his credit, Ivan held fast to China, actually having to use his strength to keep the usually docile country at bay. He had never seen China so feral before, so completely out of control. "Yao, stop it, остановите это. You can't pass that line."

"You think I care about some stupid line aru? My little brother is dying ten feet in front of me and you think I care about some imaginary line in the dirt aru?" Yao kicked him in the shin particularly hard and followed up with a sharp elbow to the gut, causing Ivan to loosen his grip momentarily.

He sprinted toward Korea, only to be stopped by a wall of people. Again he found himself on the ground, his brother just out of reach.

"You didn't care before, why now?" China's head jerked in the direction of the new voice, heart beating wildly in his chest. _'No, please tell me he didn't…'_

America glared at him over his glasses, beside him was England and Australia all daring him to take another step forward. On the dirty street, Canada held the bloody Yong Soo in his arms, and whispered calming words to the still crying boy as Romano poured disinfectant over his wounds.

A scream of pain tore through the battlefield.

"Let me see him, he is my brother aru, he belongs with me." Yao spoke barely above a whisper, his heart breaking trying to hold back his own tears. China tried to deny the sight in front of him, his poor, poor Korea, being held by someone that wasn't him, but it wouldn't go away.

"If he was so important to you then why didn't you bother to write him? Or see him? Better yet why did you send him away in the first place?" England spoke harshly leveling his gaze on China, who could not take his eyes off the hurting nation.

"I didn't want to hurt him aru, I didn't mean for this to happen…" Yao said weakly, voice breaking, unsure if he was trying to convince himself or Arthur.

"Korea cried for you every night, he's even lost a part of himself to try and be with you, out of love, and you don't even care." France spat.

Yao head jerked to meet Francis's stare, amber eyes blazing with anger. "You can't judge me aru! You of all people know nothing about love!"

The blonde shook his head and let out a irritated snort. "I may not be a saint, but I could never do what you did to him. 50 years without a single letter? After he gave himself to you, heart, soul and body? _Oú est le honneur dan tout cela?"_

"Yao, we need to leave, we can't take him back while outnumbered like this-"

He wanted them to shut up; they didn't understand it at all. They had no right to talk about him as if they knew why he did what he did. He wanted them to leave, all of them. America, England, France, Australia, Canada, Romano, even Russia.

This was none of their business.

"He is my brother! I know what's best for him! You can't just steal him away fro-"

"You abandoned him!" Lovino shouted, his painfully angry tone rang loudly though the battle torn capital. He clutched Korea closer to him, on the verge of tears himself. "You left him all alone you bastard! He had to go through tyrannical rule and a civil war because you couldn't just suck it up and face the fact that you are responsible for him! He nearly died and that rests on your shoulders not mine!"

China tried to breathe correctly and to think things through, to come up with something to prove them wrong. This wasn't his fault, he hadn't meant for this to happen, he wanted to protect Yong Soo.

He couldn't just let his precious person slip away from him, not when he was so close, not when there were only a few feet separating them. He would fight all of Europe if he had to.

"Yao, we need to leave now, the rest of them will be here soon."

'_Mine. My China…'_

"You can't just let the lad govern himself without thinking of how he'll survive all on his own."

'_Don't cry Hyung-nim! Was it something I did? I'm sorry. I really, really am. I won't call you Lao po again, just don't cry. It makes me sad when you cry.'_

"He's your little brother, how could you be so cruel?"

'_I would do anything for you Hyung-nim.'_

"Dumb bastard, he just doesn't get it does he?"

'_Hey aniki, can I sleep with you tonight? You seem kind of lonely.'_

"He was only a child; you shouldn't have tamed him if you didn't know the consequences…"

'_I'm yours. Use me brother.'_

"You can't just come here and expect everything to be all berries mate, it doesn't work that way."

"_And sometimes, I ache from aching so much."_

"Aniki?"

Yao felt his heart stop, then burn painfully in his chest.

Barely conscious, with his pretty brown eyes fluttered a fraction of an inch open, Yong Soo spoke. His voice was like a whisper but it might as well have been a gunshot, for it silenced all the nations, their attention on the young country.

"It took you long enough aniki, it's not like you do be l-lazy." Even with massive injuries to his body and spirit, Korea still managed to joke. Guilt welled deeply in China's throat as Korea weakly held his hand out to him, it shook from the force it must have cost him to move the injured arm.

Careful not to cross the line, and pointedly ignoring the Italian's glare, Yao sank to his knees and tenderly intertwined their fingers together.

He willed himself to speak. "You always manage to get yourself hurt for my sake don't you aru?"

Weakly Yong Soo grinned. "It's what I do best. Danger was invented in me after all." Yao snorted through his tears.

"For once you're right, stupid and dangerous things defiantly originated in Korea aru."

A glazed look passed over his eyes, "So, what do you think of my new name aniki?"

His gaze briefly darted to the European nations. "What is he talking about aru?" Yao choked out, feeling sick to his stomach.

_'No, tell me you didn't aru…. Tell me you didn't do it Yong Soo….'_

Alfred was the only one who dared to answer, "You didn't read his last letter at all did you?"

He hadn't, he hadn't read that last flimsy letter. He was much too late; there was nothing he could have done. He could not help Korea anymore; he had done enough to hurt him already. Yong Soo was better off without him that much was clear.

It was his laziness and his own misery that had caused Yong Soo to lose control of his own nation, to lose everything and be able to only take aide from strangers.

"Hey, hey aniki, you're not mad at me right?"

China wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he could tell from the way Yong Soo's eyes fluttered and his pulse that beat sluggishly through their connected hands, that his brother wouldn't be conscious much longer. It would be best to agree to whatever he said; he owed him that at least.

"No, not this time aru, but I'm sure you'll figure out something to tick me off sooner or later. You know I can't stay mad at you for too long aru"

"T-that's good." He exhaled deeply, and in the back of the his mind, Yao heard America and the other's make plans to take Korea away to be treated, but he couldn't be bothered with them right now.

"Hey aniki, we're still connected right? All that red string stuff you made me promise, is it still true?" Korea's grip on his fingers is weak.

Yao gulps loudly and nods his head, not bothering to wipe away his tears. "Definitely aru. You can't break them once they wrap around you. Never. We're still connected aru."

He swears he feels Yong Soo squeeze his fingers once more before his hand goes limp, but not even second later, his pulse begins to race dangerously quick and he is amazed to see the small nation's eyes move behind his lids.

To the European nations this meant only one thing.

"Shit!" Arthur cursed loudly looking around. "Matthew go get Thailand, quickly! It's happening again. Michael get the medic tent ready!" It was as if someone turned the world back on again and it was spinning out of control.

Yao watched confused. "Wh-what's happening again aru?" What's going o-"

Realization dawned on him. The blackouts that Korea had talked about, they happened whenever he was stressed, when he was hurt, or…

"I knew you'd come for me brother."

...When he was involved.

China's eyes widened, this was the result of Korea's torn country, his desire to be with him at all costs. This was the other Korea. As if he had been burned Yao pulled back, scrambling away.

A look of ultimate betrayal crossed Yong Soo's face. "Brother? Aren't you happy to see me? I did all of this for you, to bring us together again. Brother?" Tears pulled in his darker than usual eyes, and his lower lip trembled, an act so gut wrenchingly familiar.

Yao sat paralyzed by shock. _'Tian, what have I done?'_

Korea struggled to stand up. "Brother why are you doing this? Why won't you look at me? Aniki?" The other nations quickly grabbed him as he made to step over the line. "What are you doing? Get off me, Get off me!" He yelled, struggling against Alfred and Francis's tight grip. They wouldn't budge.

"What are you moron's waiting for? Get him away from him! It's only making it fucking worse!" Lovino yelled.

Yong Soo's eye filled with a bone chilling mixture of anger and frenzied terror. "Let me go! Aniki help me, they're trying to separate us again. Russia, you told me you'd help, so help! Make them let go of me! Aniki! Don't let them take me back there!"

China felt the earth moving bellow him, the weight of the years pressing painfully against his shoulders, and everything began to sway. Russia had been much more involved than he had let on, he had seen him like this, he had dealt with this side of Korea, and hadn't told him.

"Aniki, save me, don't let them take me, I want to be with you! Why wouldn't you take me back? Please aniki, I love you, save me! Aniki? China!"

Held still in morbid fascination, he couldn't even blink as they dragged his brother, kicking, screaming, howling, hysterically balling, away from him once again.

It was only then that Yao allowed the full impact of what had transpired, the guilt and the horror of what 50 years of solitude could do to a young nation, finally over take him.

In the middle of a completely destroyed Seoul, inches away from the 38th parallel, Yao loses all consciousness.

* * *

It is only weeks later, after all the tears have dried and he was sure that nothing could ever make him hurt as badly as he hurt now, that Yao wills himself to open the last flimsy letter.

_"China,_

_My names is South Korea now, if you even care."_

He was wrong, nothing could ever be more agonizing than this.

* * *

He keeps the letter propped up next to his bed, so that it is the first and last thing he sees every day. Reminding him just what his pride, his selfishness and his own misery has done to the person who loved him most of all.

* * *

Notes;

**Michael**- This is the name I've given Australia, because as far as I know, he doesn't have an official one yet. Australia sent troops during the Korean war.

**Thailand**- Thailand was actually the first to send troops to help the war effort.

**Lovino**- While Italy didn't actually engage in any fighting, they sent medics to aid, even though their own country wasn't doing very well either. I think that Lovino would the be the one to go, because Feliciano's not exactly war material. I happen to think that Lovi would make an amazing medic.

**Fratello** - Italian 'Brother'

**Genesis 4:9 and Ezekiel 25:17 **_- _I went extremely far out of my comfort zone to write Lovino's part. Being a predominantly Catholic country I wanted to show this in his thinking and his reasoning for helping in the first place. Thus I turned to scripture, which is a first for me. Genesis 4:9 refers to the story of Cain and Abel in which Cain kills Abel because he is jealous of him. And Ezekiel 25:17 once again refers to those who make the right decision and protect their brothers and lost souls. I think, don't quote me. I haven't been to mass since I was nine.

**Il Papa**- Italian, 'The Pope'

**остановите это**- Russian 'Stop this'

**Oú est le honneur dan tout cela? **- French 'Where is the honor in all of this?'

**The 38****th**** parallel**- The invisible line that divides North and South Korea. It is now a Demilitarized Zone.

**The 'other' Korea- **Those of you that have read my other story 'Beta Fish' should be familiar with my theory that there is actually only one Korea. In this particular story, the blackouts that Yong Soo experiences are actually him slipping into, for lack of better words 'North Korea.' This side of Yong Soo is born from his inability to let China go, and thus in this state he is fixated on bringing himself back to China, no matter the cost to himself. It is selfless love to the extreme. Which I think is a refreshing break from 'evil twin!NorthKorea'

* * *

You honestly have not idea the leap and bounds I went through to finish this chapter.

The original was erased when my computer crashed, so I restored it to factory settings and wrote it out again. Only to have the bloody computer crap out on me again. Two days later I got a brand new computer and began typing it out **yet again**, only to have my computer lock me out of it, because the word processor I was using was a trial version and can only be opened and closed twenty-five time before it permanently locked me out.

Not to mention the pure unadulterated angst in this chapter is enough to make me want to throw myself over the edge of the Stratosphere. Though I do have to say, writing Lovino's monologue was my favorite part of it. He's very easy for me to write for some reason. Probably because I talk like a pissed off sailor as well.

Well, leave me a review because frankly this chapter was a bitch and I want to know that someone liked it.

Oh! Please drop by my profile and vote in my poll. It's to decide what project I'll embark on after Heartstrings is over. I'd love to hear your opinions!

_Forever and Eternally,_

_-Ra_

_Next Chapter Preview;_

"_You gardening always seemed odd to me." _

_Korea knows the voice anywhere; it has had so many roles in his life that he could never mistake it for another. _

"_I did not think you had the attention for such things."_

_He calls upon his best Hong Kong monotone to answer the brother that has hurt him so much. "What are you doing here Japan?" _


	8. VII Gluttony

Heartstrings

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Part 7 of 7

VII. Gluttony

_Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. _

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

* * *

"Yong-Soo, this is Xiang, he's going to be taking care of you now." England says in an unusually gentle tone.

Korea, South Korea rather, was used to the other nations tip toeing around him by now. From his spot laying on the bed, he looks blankly at the thick eye-browed young man that has been led into his quarters.

'_We look similar._' he notes almost detachedly. They have the same basic facial structure, the same hair color, but Xiang is smaller than him, and he is stony faced and doesn't say anything. But there is something naggingly familiar about his boy who only stares at him with impassive grey eyes and he can not remember.

He can not remember a lot of things now a days.

So Korea doesn't say anything at all and simply gazes past him at England.

"You brought someone to babysit me? What happened to Lovino?" Yong Soo like the angry italian. He was amusing and out of all the nations that had come to his aid Lovin was the only one that didn't pester him to get out of bed to 'shake it off'. He understood him, he got it.

Korea had a feeling that this boy wouldn't understand at all.

England sighs, _'Well this is a let down.' _

He had been hoping that when he brought Hong Kong here, Korea would become friends with him, or rekindle a brotherly bond, something, anything besides this cool dismissal. "Romano can not stay here forever." _'And neither can I.' _He thinks but keeps it to himself. "Xiang will be taking care of you until you're able to be on your own again."

"What about Sunan?" Yong Soo asked stubbornly.

"Thailand has his own issues to deal with. Honestly Yong Soo I would have thought you'd be happy to have a brother again."

"He is not my-"

"I am not his-"

"Brother." They chime in together.

Both asian boys blink in surprise.

Xiang shakes his head and silently steps out of the room, his soft foot steps echoing in the empty hallways. When the door closes, Korea uses his unbroken arm to pull the blue duvet over his body, turning away from the blonde completely signaling the end of the conversation.

England shuffles uncomfortably on his feet and sighs yet again. This was not the instant bonding he had hoped for. Maybe Francis was right after all, it might not be a good idea to meddle in the personal affairs of a family that he was not apart of.

* * *

While his face barely showed it, Hong Kong was angry. No, angry wasn't the correct word to describe the emotion that was pulsing through his veins. Furious, no, livid, was a much better word for it. He needed to get out of that room, away from here.

It pained him to be here. To be so close to home, only for it to be out of reach.

Xiang was not stupid by any means.

He knew why he was here, and it wasn't for the noblest of reasons like Arthur would have him believe. It was not because he wanted the two of them to bond and honestly become brothers. He was not here to alleviate his home sickness. He wasn't even here because he thought that he was a good caregiver for the recently split nation.

No, Hong Kong was here because he was the closest they could get to Yao, it was as simple as that.

He resented the idea, he really did. He was not his elder brother and it was cruel and unusual to think that just because they shared land it made him a part of him. Because he was not.

And it was horribly low to expect Yong Soo to transfer his feeling from one brother to another.

Mr. England had not even thought of his feelings about the whole thing either. He saw it as Hong Kong getting as close as he could to home without really leaving. It was mean and it was careless to do that to a person who had not seen his home for more than a hundred years.

And even though Xiang knew nearly nothing about the South Korean nation, both in culture and as a brother, he was expected to make the boy want to live again, to love him. What if he had his own feelings for someone? Was he to forget them just to get Korea on his feet? Did he not have a choice in any of this?

"Hong Kong, you have to go back there."

Evidently not.

"I do not want to."

Arthur ran a hand through his already messy blonde hair and groaned in annoyance. "I don't understand why. He is family and he needs your help. Besides it's a break from London. You've been asking for one for decades haven't you?"

Xiang was not an angry person by nature. He had long ago given up his anger at being taken from home at a young age, he had kept calm when he had to learn a new and to him, ugly, language, he had even allowed himself to learn the customs of the western world with little more than a few shaky breaths. He did not like being angry, he saw no point in it.

But right now with that horrible and arrogantly thoughtless sentence Xiang could not help but lose control.

The only visible hint of emotion on the oriental boys' face was the slight tensing of his jaw. Suddenly with a quickness that astonished the Englishman, Hong Kong punched a nearby blue wall leaving a hole in it's wake.

Hong Kong glared at him. "We are not family. I've only met him once in my entire life. I was not given to the opportunity to be his brother, and that is not my fault Mr. England. It is yours."

So stunned by the actions of the usually docile port city, Arthur did nothing to stop him from walking away.

* * *

For the first time in months Yong Soo listened to the goings on in his home with interest.

He had not given the incident serious thought, but Xiang's words caused him to remember something he had not thought of in a long time.

Years ago, when he was still a child, he had accompanied China to a meeting in England. He had been told to stay in their room until his brother returned, but being the brave and daring nation he was Yong Soo had left their quarters to find Yao.

He was quickly lost in the large and unfamiliar mansion; and ended up crying in a quiet hallway. He had only been four or five at the time. Soon he was found by another little boy who didn't talk very much and looked very surprised to see him there. Which had struck him as strange, after all didn't all little kids look like him?

He had made the boy play with him until it started to get dark and Yao would return from his meeting.

The boy had shown him the way back to his room but disappeared before Korea could ask his name. He had wanted to meet the boy again and play with him some more, but if he asked Yao about him then he would know that he had disobeyed him and would be mad. So he never mentioned it.

Now that he was older, Korea put two and two together.

He had met Hong Kong that day. he had played with his brother, the one that Yao often told him stories about and he had never known it.

Ordinarily news like that would have made him ecstatic, he had always loved meeting new siblings. But somehow after the battle in Seoul, he didn't have it in him to be all that happy about anything.

After a few minutes of laying in semidarkness, the door opened and Hong Kong walked in. He didn't say a word, rather he pulled over a chair and sat. He cradled his injured hand in his lap.

The appendage was swollen and bruised. Surely it had been bleeding as well.

"You punched a whole in my wall." Korea spoke, not as a question, but as a statement.

The thick eye browed boy only stared ahead. "I did."

"You hate this whole thing too then?"

"Quite." Was the clipped answer.

Yong Soo tilted his head to the side. '_What a strange guy.' _he thinks mildly. He decides to test the waters, after all what else was for him to lose?

"You are not Yao."

Xiang stiffens and looks at him, really looks at him for the first time. Korea sees that his words ring true. No matter what Arthur thought, Hong Kong would never be like China to him, it was completely different. "I never said that I was."

But maybe not in such a bad way. Maybe different was good for both of them.

Nodding at his satisfactory answer, the younger of the two of them closed his eyes and sighed. "Then I think we'll get along well Hyung."

Taken aback, Hong Kong's reply is delayed. "….Like wise gege."

It felt so strange for both of them to use those words again after so long, that neither of them were able to say anything else to each other for a long time.

Perhaps, it was better that way. In Yong Soo's experience, words only made things complicated, the source of all of the misunderstandings in his life.

So he says nothing.

* * *

To England's bewilderment Yong Soo refuses to let anyone fix the hole in his wall. It made no sense what so ever.

"Maybe it makes sense to him." Francis replies over his glass of wine.

Arthur rolls his eyes and tries to work on his embroidery. "You're completely stupid aren't you? It's a hole in a wall, not some artistic symbol, you bleeding heart frog." He answers in his usual disagreeable tone.

Much used to the way the Englishmen acted, France didn't take the insult to heart. "It could be though. Maybe he wishes he could punch a hole in the wall sometimes."

* * *

Days pass.

Long tiring days turn into even longer and more tiring weeks and before either of them knows it, years have passed. True to his nature, Xiang lets go of his anger at being used and somehow, he grows to honestly care for this sulking and down trodden little brother of his.

He may not speak a lot, and he may have a hard time expressing his feelings, but that didn't the change the fact that he felt just as strongly as everyone else did. It hurt to see his brother so resigned even if they had only really known each other for a few years.

Arthur had brought him here after Yong Soo had finally split and was left bedridden. He supposed that he was out of options and not sure how to fix the worn down nation. Mr. England was never too good with child nations it seemed.

And after all of the resentment and anger left him, Xiang realized he was allowed to come so close to home after all the years of being denied was because Arthur and the others felt bad for Yong Soo, who had lost both his best friend and half of his country in one fell swoop.

He was the closest to China they could get so they let him come to this war torn place and take care of Korea regardless of the fact that they had only met once before on accident at a world meeting.

In the three years he had been here, Hong Kong felt the invisible bond between them strengthen until it was not obligation that made him sit beside Korea, but genuine concern.

Korea wakes up screaming. He had an episode last night, his darker side had come out, causing much trouble. Luckily it seemed that as time went on the episodes happened less and less, though it still scared both him and Yong Soo.

Going to the Korean boy's bedside he rubs soothing circles on the young nation's back. Hong Kong waits for the fit of restlessness and the ever present pain in his chest to subside. Eventually it does and after a weak shadow of a smile in thanks, Korea falls back into a deep, hopefully dreamless, slumber.

Hong Kong quickly slips out of the chair next to the nation's bed, his ankles popping from sitting down so long, and paces the large room. This had to stop. He could not allow Yong Soo to waste away, a ghost of the bright person he used to be.

This was not the same boy he had met years ago, not at all.

If Yao would not step into fix him, then Xiang would have to do it himself.

* * *

"_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."_

Singing is the first thing he takes notice of when he finally regains consciousness. The words are rough with accent and are sung very quietly, but they wash over him and for a moment Yong Soo is content to simply listen and feign sleep a little while longer.

"_The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head down and cried."_

The song ends and a thick silence engulf the room. Xiang knows that he is awake, but he won't say anything. He just waits for him to open his eyes, waits for him to accept reality. It's been their system for the last three years.

But today, is different. He can tell. Hong Kong never sings to him in English. And sure enough, only a few moments into the silence, his brother breaks the thick wordlessness. "You cannot do this forever."

Korea merely pulls the blanket closer to his body in response. He knew that this conversation was a long time coming. The others had been skirting around the issue for months, no one had the heart to outright tell him to stop sulking, not after everything he'd been through.

The fact that Xiang, ever quiet and understanding Xiang, was worried should have sent alarm bells off. And once upon a time it would have, but he knew that once upon a time was over.

Yong Soo knew that his life was no fairytale.

"You cannot lay in bed for the rest of your life Yong Soo." His voice is even and as monotonous as usual, but there is a definite sadness to the tone. His brother is worried about him, he knows that, but he turns away and stares at the opposing wall none the less.

"There's a huge hole in my chest, I think I can do what I want." He speaks stubbornly.

"We both know that healed months ago."

"Physically, maybe."

The comment hangs stale in the air. An entire half of Korea had been stolen from him, leaving the nation bedridden for years. He was young and recovered quickly but on the other side of the coin; he was never prepared for what is would mean to lose so much of his vital regions.

But both knew that wasn't what he was talking about though. So Hong Kong drops the subject and starts singing again which always comforted his baby brother when he got into such a downcast state.

"_You told me once dear, you really loved me and no one else could come between. But now you've left me and love another, you have shattered all my dreams."_

Yong Soo listened and glared at the deep blue tapestry in his room that was pulled back, letting in the gray light of the rainy morning. He was so tired of all the blue in his house. Everything was blue, his tapestry, his clothes, his carpets even the very blanket that now shielded him from his brother's questions. All blue, reminding him that he was only half, only one side of his country now.

Yong Soo hated all the blue. He missed being able to function without the dull throbbing in his heart, he missed walking wherever he wanted, not worrying about lines and parallels, he missed the bright fiery red and the heart strings that were the same color.

Most of all, Korea missed China.

* * *

And one morning, Korea looks into the mirror and he knows.

He feels it deep within his heart, so deep that is shockingly apparent that he does not like the person he sees staring back at him. He does not want to be the defeated nation with glossy eyes and a forced smile on his face. He hadn't even cut his hair since the battle of Seoul and as result it now reached his shoulders.

He looked uncomfortably like Yao. He didn't want this to be the closest he'd ever get to seeing his brother. He wasn't the type to sulk about things, he didn't like to be be moody.

That's not who he is, not at all.

Korea was, no, is, so much more than that.

He's the kinda of country that solved his own issues, the kind of man who went out and forged his own path to get what he wanted. Yong Soo was so tired of being tired. He wanted to do things he wanted; to work in his garden, to be a nation again, to talk to people and to smile, to be himself. He wanted to be normal again.

It isn't a huge epiphany, not in the usual sense, but it is a life altering moment none the less. For the first time since he was sent away, his life, and what he should do, was crystal clear.

It was time to move on, and with a refreshing sense of determination coursing through him, Korea sits down at his desk and prepares to write one final letter.

* * *

"Yong soo what are you doing?" Xiang asks with mild wonderment.

Korea looks at his brother and the visiting Europeans and grins. He is covered in spackle and dirt, a bright yellow hard hat hanging off kilter on his mop of freshly cut brown hair. Most notably though he is out of bed and smiling.

"Fixing this hole! Which is harder than I thought. Even if spackle was created in me, it's still really hard to use. I called Thailand over to help me out. He good at this kinda stuff. "

Both Hong Kong and England stare unblinkingly at him. The turn around from yesterday alone was so incredible that neither of them could hardly believe it. France on the other hand was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Taking their blank stares the wrong way, Korea babbles on as he goes to the front door, most likely to let Thailand in. "Don't get me wrong you're cool Xiang, but your not really manly enough for this stuff, you're kinda delicate you know?"

Hong Kong's eyebrow actually twitched.

"And I've seen what you've done to food England. I want to keep my walls. No offense!" He yelled as he rounded the corner, his face bright and teasing.

So shocked by the transformation of spirit that he had just witnessed England lets the food comment slide. "What the bloody hell just happened?" he asks out loud.

France smirks and plops a hand down on the short blonde's shoulder. "That was artistic symbolism at work my nay-saying friend. I believe you owe me an apology _mon cher_…"

"Over my dead body you perverted leech!"

Suddenly, things seemed alright again in Hong Kong's world.

* * *

One by one Yong Soo watches them all leave, England, France, America, even sweet Canada. They have to go, they've got their own affairs to tend to, their own countries to run and Korea is sure they have their own wounds to worry about without his added to the pile.

He isn't mad, he isn't even upset while he watches as the only friends he has flitter away and he is unable to stop them. It's strange to be in the house alone, but other than that he doesn't feel much of anything.

It's for the best he supposes, he has so much work to do, so much catching up to do if he ever wants to be a whole nation again. It's easier if he doesn't have anything to distract him.

He wanted to be able to hold his head high and to be able to visit his friends on his own time, to be able to say his name without people getting that weird look on their faces; pity. Yong Soo wanted everything to be normal, or at least something like it.

He wanted his brother, but he couldn't have him the way he was now, that much he understood at least. He was certain that one day the political tides would change and he would be reunited with not just China, but with Japan and Taiwan as well. He wanted to get to know Hong Kong outside of the walls of his house; he owed it to him to be himself after all his brother had done for him.

Xiang is the hardest to say goodbye to. And he hugs him for just a few moments longer than the others. "I wish you didn't have to go Hyung." Hong Kong tightens the hug a fraction before pulling back, holding him at arm's length.

"You'll be okay." Even though his face doesn't shift even an inch Korea knows that there is emotion behind his brother's words. "Gege will come to his senses. Just give him time."

In this moment Korea knows he's right and even though he's grown up so quickly in such a short amount of time he is unable to stop himself from tearing up as England calls for Hong Kong to hurry up and the other Asian nation walks away.

"All of us Xiang!" He yells and said nation turns to regard him one last time. "We'll be together again soon! You, Me, China, Thailand, Japan even Taiwan and Tibet! We'll all be a family again! I promise!" He swears he sees Hong Kong actually smile for a single second before he steps into the motor car heading for the airport.

Yong Soo waves as the car rolls away into the red sunset. And for a long time after it is gone he simply stares.

* * *

He is out in the garden for the first time since the war ended.

It has been years since he had time to maintain what started out as a small flower bed and somehow took over his entire backyard. But once he was here again, hands covered in dirt and fingers working the rich soil, it felt as normal as it did all those years ago.

"You gardening always seemed odd to me." Korea knows the voice anywhere; it has had so many roles in his life that he could never mistake it for another. "I did not think you had the attention for such things."

"What are you doing here Japan?" He calls upon his best Hong Kong monotone to answer the brother that has hurt him so much. He refuses to face him so he fiddles with the bulb of a particularly difficult lily. There is the sound of metal and he half expects to see a sword thrust into his face, but there is only a soft grunt of pain.

"Are you sure you're strong enough Kiku? You should still be in bed." An unfamiliar voice answers instead of his brother, and it startles Yong Soo so much that he forgets his cold shoulder plan and turns to look.

Kiku shakily pushes himself out of a wheelchair, the silver metal of which shines in the afternoon sun. Japan's arm is bandaged hangs uselessly in a shoulder splint. There are odd burns on part of his neck that aren't covered by his dark blue kimono. He thinks that he's seen the burns before, on Alfred, but he hadn't liked to talk about them. Japan stops him before he is able to think about it too much. "I'll be fine."

The tall brown haired man looks uncertain but he nods once and pushing the wheel chair away, glancing back before leaving the two nations alone. Kiku sits a few feet away from him, obviously aware of his weariness. "You've grown up a lot."

Korea just nods, unable to say anything just yet.

"I have something to tell you, will you allow me to say it? You have every right to turn me away I know that."

Why was Japan here? He wanted to hate his elder brother for everything that happened, he wanted to blame it on him. Much of what he had gone through was directly connected to Kiku's interference after all. He had every right to shun the nation, to make him leave his home, to even take revenge on him-

"Please Otouto?" Kiku smiles weakly and Korea suddenly becomes aware of how much Japan has been through as well. And because of that he can't hate him. Maybe he was naïve, but Korea just didn't have it in him to hate someone, not anymore.

"Go ahead da-ze."

"I have-" He pauses and Yong Soo knows that he is mapping out what he is going to say in his mind. It is something so stereotypically Japan that he is unable to help himself from cracking the barest of smiles. "I have done many things that I am not proud of."

The small Japanese man uses his good arm to pluck a weed from the top soil, preferring to concentrate on that rather than his younger brother. "But they are things that have taught me about myself and what I can and cannot do as a nation. I am not proud of them, but they are what they are."

Yong Soo picks at the weeds as well, pulling the ones that Kiku is unable to dig up. "I want to apologize to you Yong Soo. I have done more than my fair share of bad things to you. I used Taiwan to try and get you on my side during the last world war. I knew that you missed China and I had Taiwan take advantage of that. It was cruel.

Meimei hated you in the beginning, she said it was like being with China all over again, but after a while she began to dislike the plan for other reasons. She said you didn't deserve to be played with, that you were sweet even if you were in love with Yao. She warned me that the plan would do nothing but hurt everyone one involved. She was right, despite all my efforts, you didn't sway and I accomplished nothing.

I also took advantage of your inexperience with running your country and took your work force."

"Why? Why would you do it?" Korea is unable to stop himself from blurting out.

Japan sighed. "I tried to steal you from China long ago, but he wouldn't let me take you. I suppose I was jealous of you. I was angry that the moment I left, China had already replaced me with another nation, another child colony. I left because I wanted to get stronger, but I did not think that China would move on without me. And to see him with you or rather to see you with him, so comfortable and at peace, it unnerved me." Kiku finally tore his eyes away from the ground, black hair whipping around his face as he met his brother's brown eyes.

"You called him your wife! I was his favorite until you came around, we all knew it. And then I leave for a few months and suddenly I was replaced. I didn't know how to take it, I couldn't even process it and I just thought that if I could separate the two of you then it would fade.

But I was wrong. It didn't fade. I still felt jealous and you kept writing him. I hurt you for no good reason and for that I am sorry. I have no right to ask, but could you ever forgive me?"

Yong Soo lay down the flower bulbs, and looked to the sky. His head swirled with all he was hearing. It was never in Japan's nature to speak about his feelings so openly. In fact Kiku generally didn't let anyone know what was going on inside his head. And what he was asking was big, monumental in fact.

Korea was sure he could live with not hating Japan, but forgiving him was a completely different story. Japan was a big part of the reason he lost half of himself, lost part of his heart. But now with the bandaged arm and way he spoke to the tall nation he came here with, caused Yong Soo to rethink everything.

Kiku had changed too, he made friends, he opened up to others, he lost wars and parts of himself as well. He looked nothing like the imperialistic man who scarred Yao or the detached soul that kept him under lock and key, he looked younger and softer. Kiku looked tired as he patiently waited for his answer, ready and expecting to be rejected.

Korea willed himself to speak. "How did you get those burns?"

Japan look startled, of all the things he expected Yong Soo to say, that was not it. Unconsciously he rubbed at his neck, the burns visible and red from irritation. It did not take a genius to figure out that he didn't like talking about them.

But still, speaking softly, he honored his request and told him. "They are radiation burns, from America's atomic bombs. They are what ended the war."

Yong Soo nodded grimly, still looking at the clouds. He debates on asking if they hurt or not, but it was obvious that they still did. So he chooses a different question instead. "That man, the one that wheeled you here, who is he?"

This time Japan blushes lightly, a fine pink hue spreading across his cheeks and ears, and Korea learns more from that single action then anything he could possibly say. Japan had someone who loved him and he just may love him in return. "That was Greece-san."

"Are you good friends?"

"….Yes. But what does that have to do wi-"

Reassured Yong Soo breaks into a grin and fixes his gaze on his elder sibling, feeling like himself for the first time in a long time. "I've decided that I'm going to forgive you because you're not so big of an asshole after all." Japan tilts his head to the side, obviously confused. "But there's a catch! First of all you have to swear that your breasts belong to me!"

The Japanese man's eyes widen and a large blush replaces the light dusting from before. "B-but I don't even have brea-"

"Second; you have to admit that my country makes better stuff then you guys do!"

"That is ridiculous, what does that have to do with any-"

"Third; you have to apologize to aniki." The young nation's smile falters and he turn serious again. "I can forgive you because I know you're not a bad person and because I have friends and family to support me, but aniki's lost all his family. We were all he had and now, I don't even know if he has friends to keep him company. I wish it were me, but you're able to see him so that's the catch. You have to make peace with him. I know aniki better than I know myself, and I know that you apologizing will mean the world to him."

Korea sighs and takes his brother's good hand in his, linking their pinkies. "Those are my conditions can you do that?"

Kiku smiles warmly and tightens his hold on his pinkie. "I will take the first two into consideration, but the last one I can definitely abide by."

"Good. Oh can I ask one more thing Kiku?"

The Japanese man nods, hoping that this next request had nothing to do with his non-existent breasts.

"I have something for China, a letter. Since I can't talk to him right now, do you think you could deliver it to him?"

Japan shakes his head with a small laugh. "You are just a glutton for punishment aren't you Yong Soo?"

Korea shrugs. "I guess. I can't help it were Hyung-nim is concerned. It's all those red string thingys. I just can't help myself. So, will you do it?"

"I believe I can fit that in. I have been meaning to give aniki a visit for some time now as well."

"Great!" Korea grins and it is catchy because Kiku finds himself smiling as well. "Well now that all that mushy feelings stuff is over, let's get started on this garden. We've got a lot of Violets and Wisterias to plant and I won't let you slow me down. Hey, Kiku did you know that gardening originated in me….?"

* * *

_"Dear Hyung-nim,_

"I waited as long as I could, I really, really did. I kept on hoping that if I only sent out one more letter then you could come and help me out of this mess I made. But I can't wait anymore, because my people need me to make a decision.

I know that it means me picking a side and losing a part of me as well, but I gotta do it for my people, they believe in me, even when I've been a pretty lousy nation. My bosses think that if I had been raised here than this wouldn't have happened. But they're wrong.

And either way I don't blame you, I never did.

You told me time and time again that you weren't ready for this, that you couldn't love me in the way I loved you, but I didn't listen. I never listened. I just pushed you and pushed you knowing full well that one day your resistance would crumble and you would give in.

I knew and I didn't care, I just wanted you to love me like I love you.

I'm the one that made this happen because I had to go my own way and forget the way things should be. But I don't regret it, not at all. Being with you was like being whole for the first time. It felt like something old and ancient just clicked into place, it was right. And for that reason I don't regret what I did, I'm just sorry that everything went downhill because of it.

I know that siding with Alfred and the others will make us enemies, and it hurts to think of us as anything other than brothers or lovers now I guess, but one day it will pass. If I've learned one thing from leaving home it's that history is full of people doing horrible things to each other. But the amazing thing is that in a few hundred years, sometimes even decades, it is forgotten and things are able to be reborn. Even with nations.

Arthur and Francis tell me stories of the horrible stuff they've done to hurt the other since they were children, but somehow they are able to accept it and move on, I think they love each other as well, but they'd sooner marry that Russia guy than admit it out loud. They've literally beaten each other senseless and still care about each other, so I'm sure we can handle this.

And that, above all else, is my hope.

That one day, you'll be able to forgive me, and we'll be able to be normal. We don't even have to do _it_ again. (But if you wanna, I am totally all for it, because I love you and I really, really want to try that whole sex thing again because it was _wow_, and I can't imagine doing those kinds of things with anyone but you, no matter what Francis says.) But more than that, I just want to be able to actually see you and not hope that a letter will get through to you. I'm much better at talking anyways, at least that's what Xiang says.

For the first time, I'm ready to be me and to really go my own way. I may not be completely whole, but I can be, and with any luck, we can be whole together.

So don't worry about me so much, okay aniki? After all bravery and greatness were made in me right?

Love, Im Yong Soo

South Korea.

(Ps. Don't be too angry at Kiku. He maybe an asshole, but he's the asshole that delivered this letter right?)

* * *

The first time China reads the letter, he feels an incredible weight being lifted off of him.

The second time through he realizes that Japan is sitting in front of him, mouth gaping from seeing him cry.

The third time he reads it, when Kiku has left and he is alone in bed, he allows himself to think about what it would really be like if they did get the chance to do 'it' again. (Then he is vaguely angry that now half of Europe and North America know the details of his love life.)

The fourth and fifth times he reads it he decides that he really does believe Yong Soo's words. He believes that they will meet again, that one day, maybe not soon they will be a family again. And maybe, they red heart strings wouldn't become so tangled this time around.

The sixth time he reads Yong Soo's letter he goes out into town and buys everything he needs to start his own garden. Because he needs something to do while he waits.

And the seventh time Yao reads the letter, he doesn't even have to look at the paper. His heart, mind, and soul have it completely and utterly memorized.

* * *

Notes;

I. **Sunan**- This is the name that I've given Thailand. Sadly I was unable to actually introduce him into the story, he is only mentioned in the last few chapters.

II.** Gege - **Chinese for 'brother'

III. **Sunshine**- The song that Hong Kong sings to Yong Soo is _'You Are My Sunshine'_ It was a popular son in the sixties in both England and America, So I assumed that Xiang would know it. It was also the lullaby I was sung as a child. Though I did not know there was more than one verse until a while ago.

IV. **Greece-** I needed a way to prove to Yong Soo (and myself) that Kiku had changed, that he was different than he was only a chapter or so ago. Thus his relationship with Greece. Poor Taiwan got beat for her man again.

* * *

It's over.

It's very hard to believe that this story is finished because I have a horrible habit of starting big chaptered stories, getting half way through them, only to give up in the home stretch. This is the longest thing I've written as well. I've spent so much time and thought power on this story that I'm almost sad to see it go.

There might be an epilogue, to give a rounder feel to the ending, but it won't be anywhere near the length of the last few chapters.

I would like to thank the people that have been reading since the very beginning, who have helped me continue to write even when I had school in the morning and needed sleep. You've made this project worthwhile.

Well my babies, for the last time I'd like to say thank you for reading and to please drop a review telling me what you thought of the ending. Good? Bad? Lobster? It all matters to me.

_Forever and Eternally,_

_-Ra_


	9. Epilogue

Heartstrings

By; Chibi Ra Chan

Rating; T

Pairing; China/Korea

Epilogue

_Will the day come when this battle, born of confusion, will end? __It is different things to different people. __Can the reality be that which is hidden? __The reason is mere existence. Still, memories can be believed. __Be not afraid. __Entrust your body to the soothing waves of your memories. __By and by, your fleeting rest will be over._

_And everything will begin._

_- Yen Sid's Book "A Future Story"_

* * *

No one really understood how or at what rate a nation aged. When they say their age they're really just guessing. Some adopted birthdays, but they were always changing.

For Yong Soo in particular it was difficult to pinpoint his age. Korea had been around for centuries in some form or another. Before him there was his mother-nation, Silla and her brothers that made up his peninsula and when they disappeared he was born.

Yao had always guessed at how old he was by seeing how tall he was getting. But up until the last 100 years or so, he still looked younger than nations like Alfred who were less than 300 hundred years old.

Yong Soo himself had always been small, for the longest time he had the body of a child, even when he was nearly two thousand years old. It was only recently that his body had began to match his years, at least a little bit. He now stood at an impressive 173cm causing him tower over most of his people. He found that he had lost much of his baby fat, but still retained his usual puffy cheeks.

Physical stuff aside, he felt a lot older now too. The last couple of decades had taught him much about how to run his country and how to be a player on the world's stage. He could manage himself just fine now, he had a thriving market and a booming economy. Of course there was always that pesky northern half of his….

Every now and then he would lose track of time and almost always have some kind of issue to deal with concerning the north when he came to. It didn't happen all that often anymore, thankfully, and for the most part he was able to fix things himself.

It was a great mystery, what happened in those moments of forgetfulness. He never remembered anything, but he always woke up with the lingering feeling of immense sadness. Whatever was happening, he pitied whoever or whatever's feelings he was picking up on. No one should ever feel so hopeless.

But that wasn't what truly concerned Korea right now.

These thoughts were what gave him courage to walk into this leader's office, throw some papers on his desk, grin and exclaim, "We're gonna make ties with Beijing da-ze!"

'_Today I am an adult.'_ he says to himself as the various aides in the office begin to scramble to read the documents. His president looks at him with a mixture of surprise, annoyance, most importantly, respect. _'Today I turn eighteen.'_

For the first time in a long time Yong Soo felt like a real nation.

* * *

And one day out of the blue, a letter comes.

Unlike the multitude of letters that come for his officials and bosses all across his nation, this one is addressed to him personally.

Not, China, but Yao.

Naturally he tears the envelope open and throws himself into reading the note.

There is a moment of silent amazement, which quickly turns to disbelief and finally to panic. The small Chinese man is so full of conflicting emotions that he doesn't quite know how to take in the news that he never thought would come.

After many long years of being apart, Korea was finally reaching out toward him.

* * *

Meimei reads the formal documents that her little brother has handed to her with a heavy heart.

She wasn't surprised really; she had seen it coming for years. But it still stung.

"You-You're leaving too." She spoke quietly, still staring at the papers. First Japan and now Korea. Even though Yong Soo's leaving was her fault, it still made her wonder why everyone ended up leaving her.

The Korean boy nods, a sad look on his face. Meimei knows that trying to argue with him and asking him to stay will not do any good.

Yong Soo's mind is made up.

"It's not that you haven't been a good friend Nuna, because you have, though I'm still a little mad about you kissing me, but that's not the point da-ze the point is, well, things have changed." He pauses and tries to find the right wording. "Things have gotten complicated." He settles on.

He is unable to look at her and instead focuses his gaze on the tea she gave him earlier.

"Complicated how?" She asks, hands shaking a bit.

"My government says that we've gotta export more and they say that it isn't very cost effective to trade so much with you when _others_ would buy more." Meimei watches as he begins to fidget a bit. He still cannot bring himself to look at her.

"What _others_ do you mean Yong Soo?" He doesn't say anything, but the telltale blush on his cheeks speaks volumes.

Meimei feels anger flood her veins. "It's him isn't it?"

They both know what _him_ she is talking about.

"Mei, I know you don't like him but-" She interrupts him, letting the official document fall to the floor in a flurry of manila paper.

"He's a horrible person; you should know that after everything he's put you through! I wish you could see him the way that I do. You can't cut off ties with people just because his government says-"

In the middle of her tirade, a thought occurs to her. She hated it, but she had to ask.

"Do you have anything to do with this?"

Korea tries to sooth his oncoming headache by rubbing his forehead. He knew that this wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected his sister to take the news so hard. "I told you my government wants-"

"No! I want to know if _you_ had anything to do with this. Not your government, but you?" She yells, her long hair in a frenzy around her. "And don't think of lying to me. I'm still your elder sister."

Yong Soo feels his stomach sink. He hates this, he absolutely hates this, but he can't quite bring himself to lie to her when he is for all intents and purposes, abandoning her. So he finally faces her, his brown eyes shining with sadness, but also sincerity.

"It was my idea."

He watches as Meimei deflates and he swears he hears a sniffle. He wants to go and comfort her, because even if he doesn't love her the way he loves China, she is still family.

But he doesn't because he knows that Taiwan won't let him.

And from the sting of her hand as she slaps him across his left cheek, he knows that he is right.

"You choose him over me?" Her voice is deathly quiet and the color had drained from her face.

China was the one thing that Taiwan hated more than anything else. When he was younger he remembered Yao and Mei getting into a fight and then he didn't see her again until WWII. Then after that Yao had tried to take her back, only for her to leave yet again.

He was sure that it went far beyond just political tides. There was something that Meimei fundamentally detested about China, and to be left in favor of him was the ultimate betrayal.

"I love him Nuna. " He whispers while standing up and preparing to leave. He rubs his now sore face and curses. He wishes it wasn't like this, he wishes he didn't have to pick which part of his family he loved more. But he had made is choice.

Much to his surprise Meimei catches his hand just as he is about to walk out of her door. Even more surprising is when she hugs him; her long pink sleeves hitting him in the face. He hugs back without questioning it.

He can feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she talks into his chest. "You stupid little boy, he's going to end up hurting you. He always does. China's love always ends badly, why don't you see that?"

He smiles and pulls away from his sister. He knows that the next time they met, her upset will have turned into anger, so he gently kisses her forehead and soothes down her hair. "I have to try though. I'll hate myself if I don't. Everything in life can't be easy da-ze or else it wouldn't be worth getting hurt for."

Meimei can only nod and let him go.

* * *

"It looks like Korea is making peace with China again." England says one day, after taking a sip of his traditional earl grey tea. Tea always made him feel better no matter what the situation. It was one of the few things that he and Xiang could still agree on. Things had been strained between them as of late.

Arthur attempts to make peace with the young man and he tells him this piece of confidential G8 information knowing how important it was to him.

Still, he approaches the subject with caution.

Arthur knows that Xiang is not the gullible child he had taken from a war ravaged Yao many years ago. He had grown up and matured after so long. It was no secret that the port city wanted nothing more than to return home to his family. Talk of Yong Soo especially made him want to leave. That had been his true reasoning for making him leave Korea after only a few years.

England had been foolish in thinking that he would be placated with one brother, with being close to his city. He had hoped it would be enough, but he was wrong. Francis had warned him not to mettle in the affairs of someone else's family but he didn't listen.

He never did it seemed.

Because when all was said and done it wasn't enough, if anything it made the boy want to leave even more. Hong Kong was miserable here, but Arthur just couldn't quite bring himself to let him go.

"Aa. That's good." Xiang says without looking at him. Instead he sits at the windowsill and watches as the hectic London traffic parades by.

Arthur feels his heart clench, but he talks through it. "It seems daft if you ask me. South Korea and China still work in two completely government systems, and Yong Soo's already burned the proverbial bridge with Taipei to do it. I can't see how this will end well for anyone."

Xiang doesn't turn to face him, but decades' worth of living with the boy allowed the blonde nation to know the emotions that run through his seemingly disinterested voice. "Maybe not, but what might seems like something horrible for you or the others just may mean the world to him."

England doesn't respond and Hong Kong doesn't elaborate any further. There is only an uncomfortable and suffocating silence lying between them now. Arthur pushes his breakfast away and stares that the boy whom he had grown attached to after all these years.

Even his beloved tea cannot make the guilt that is eating him up inside go away.

He knows that is time to let go. And he hates it.

* * *

Japan, for all his social etiquette and posturing, found this rather amusing.

"Aiiiiyaaah! What am I going to do aru?" China whined while pacing the hotel room in a nervous wreck. Kiku smiled and took a sip of his tea. It wasn't very often that his elder brother became so panicked. It was actually rather comical

"You should stop yelling first." He speaks calmly a small amount of mirth in his voice.

China glares at the Japanese man. "That's easy for you to say. This isn't a big deal for you."

Kiku doesn't argue with him, because he knows it will do no good. Yao had a bad case of nerves and needed to take it out on something lest he go crazy. It just so happened that he was the only one here at the moment.

"It's been decades since I've last seen him, what if things aren't the same aru?" He panics, pulling on his ponytail.

Japan, ever the realist, speaks. "It is Yong Soo, have you ever known him to change? He has been the same since you found him."

China hated to admit it but he had a point. Still, his mild panic attack wouldn't be cured so easily. "I don't think I can handle this aru. I'm too old to be dealing with this anymore. I can't believe I let myself get my hopes up again aru, I should have never-"

Annoyed, Kiku interrupts. "May I be honest with you Nii-sama?" He doesn't wait for Yao to answer however. "You have spent a large portion of the last four decades waiting to see Korea again. I have seen it, so have all the other nations. In fact the only nation that doesn't realizes how very much to yearn to see him, is you. And quite frankly I am tired of it."

Yao sighs dejectedly and rest's his head against the door frame. "I, I just don't want to mess things up again." He voices quietly as if saying out loud would confirm it. He was so afraid of ruining things yet again. It was perfectly understandable that he was apprehensive.

His younger brother sighs as well and comes to stand next to him. Japan lays a hand on his elder brother's shoulder in a rare show of understanding.

"Please take a page from Yong Soo's book and stop thinking about everything so much. Forget your reservations on the matter and 'go your own way' or whatever it is that he says."

Yao can't help but laugh at how strange it was to hear Yong Soo's dogma coming from Kiku's throat. "You're right, I have to calm down aru, take things as they come."

Kiku smiles and it is so unusual that Yao doesn't realize that he has opened the door they are standing next to. "I am glad you have come to your senses." The next thing the Chinese man knows he has been shoved out into the hotel hallway. "With al do respect nii-sama please do not come back until you have made up with Otouto, you are driving me crazy."

He slams the door shut and China is left to stare at the closed door in mild horror.

* * *

Everything after his impromptu diplomacy meeting is a frenzy of letters, negotiations, diplomatic meetings and countless hours spent going over the terms of the Chinese-South Korean trade agreements. At least for his boss and all his aides that is.

Yong Soo himself is too busy _not_ worrying to get involved with all the fine print. Besides he had done his share of the work, he had severed ties with Meimei, who had moved from pitying him to downright hating his guts. He had also broken the news to Alfred and the others. While they didn't outwardly condemn him, he knew they weren't happy either.

China was still on shaky turns with most of Europe, but Yong Soo was sure that it wouldn't last long. He knew most of the European nations pretty well and he knew that their wallets would win out against their distrust of his brother. China had a lot to offer in the trade and monetary department.

Either way, Yong Soo was going through with this.

"I just don't get it." Lovino scowls from his spot on the Korean's hotel room bed. "The guy pretty much throws you to the wolves and you still want to be with the bastard?"

Korea rolls his eyes good naturedly. South Italy, while brash and out right rude, had become a good friend over the years. He valued the Italians opinion highly and he was the one he wanted to have with him today, the big day as he liked to call it.

Tonight was the day that the treaties and negotiation were officially signed and he would be able to be reunited with his brother at long last.

But Romano wasn't so happy about it and was being even more surly than usual, which was saying a lot.

"But Loooovi~!" He whines while jumping on the bed and flustering the smaller man into a huff. He laughs at his own words as much as he does the annoyed look on his face. Korea smirks and loops his arms around the brunette's shoulders. "It's true love! How can you deny me true love?"

Romano tries, in vain, to shove the Asian boy off of him. "Cut it out! Jesus, you're such a fucking kid, I'm trying to be serious here."

Yong Soo sighs and lets' go only to fall on the soft mattress. He stares at the ceiling instead of his friend. "You're no fun you know that? You need to be happy everyone in a while, it will do you wonders. Or better yet you need to get laid. Sex was invented in me but I'm sure your attitude could benefit from it too."

To his credit, Lovino only scoffs and punches the Asian in the arm, rather than the usual head-butt that such remarks normally call for. "I'm sooo sure. But you're avoiding the question."

"It's not even a question though, you don't like Yao and you never will. So me trying to tell you Hyung-nim's virtues is pointless." Yong Soo answers plainly.

Romano knows he is right so he doesn't say anything.

Lovino is very aware that he is supposed to forgive people's mistakes; he isn't supposed to pass judgment, that was God's job, not his. But he was an imperfect creature and he didn't delude himself into thinking that he held no malice in his heart.

He didn't like Yao; in fact he was sure he hated the elder Asian quite a bit. He could not forgive him for what he had done. Yong Soo may have been able to see past it and make peace but that didn't mean he had to.

The fact that Korea knew of his hateful feelings and was still his friend spoke volumes about Korean's capacity to accept people and forgive. He was a much better person than he was that much was apparent.

Silence prevails in the room until Romano can't stand it anymore. He hits him again.

"Ow, what was that one for?" Korea asks sitting up and rubbing his now sore arm.

Lovino's face is tomato red as he glares at him, though not with any real enthusiasm to it. "That's for lying. You did not invent sex. You're practically a nun."

Despite the bashing of his honor, Korea cannot help but take the bait. "I am not! Just because I'm saving myself for my true love doesn't mean I'm not freaky!"

The brunette makes a gaging sound and cringes. "Ew. This is why we don't let you anywhere near France. Never say that garbage again."

Yong Soo grins and feels the tension flood out of the air. "Say what, 'True love' or 'Freaky'?"

Romano allows a rare smile to grace his features before he wipes it off. He can't go around smiling for just anyone or they'd want him to do it all the time. And that shit was just not happening any time soon. So instead he scowls and throws one of the fluffy pillows at Korea's grinning face.

"Both"

* * *

"It's about time those two made up if you ask me." Turkey says conversationally. France nods in agreement and takes a sip of his wine. The two are sitting in the hotels' tiny bar waiting for the official document signing and the obligatory party that would undoubtedly follow. They always did.

Sadly, Arthur would not be attending this event, he was much too busy with things in London, which France took as he didn't want to leave Hong Kong, or worse bring him here to get 'ideas'. Antonio and gilbert were not here either, leaving Francis to seek the company of the Turkish man who now sat in front of him.

It's was a welcome change, Sadiq would keep him on his toes.

"Oui, it has taken quite a long time. Then again, China has always been backwards when it comes to his emotions non?"

Turkey waves his hand dismissively. "I think you're giving Yao a little too much credit. All of this is the kid's doing." The blonde raises an eyebrow in question. He hadn't known that. He had assumed that it had been a mutual effort.

He smiles; it seemed as if Korea would just keep on amazing them all. "Yong Soo is a determined person. He most likely beat China to it." France had gotten over most of his upset with the tiny Asian man; he had had to. Just because he, Francis, was angry with him didn't not mean that he, France, could afford to be at odds with him. They were calling this treaty the 'Last holdout of the cold war.' Thus the reason so many nations like himself were here. Still, many of them had connections to the two nations chiefly involved.

Sadiq was one of those nations. The Turk had inexplicably become friends with South Korea. Francis secretly thought it was because the boy was as rowdy as the once empire. Also because he didn't want Greece to become friends with all of the Asians.

"But enough about Yao, we have not had the opportunity to speak in a long time my bearded friend. Tell me, _comment sont des choses avec votre petite tulipe Elizavete? _Surely she isn't still giving you trouble _mon cher ami?"_ He teased, knowing very well that Sadiq was no closer to winning her over once and for all.

At least he thought so, Francis knew better though. Little Elizaveta was simply too stubborn to admit she was still quite smitten with him. The blonde simply loved it when nations were oblivious to their own love lives; it made for a good show.

Francis watched as Turkey's face, which for once was not covered with that silly mask, bled red with blush. He looked away, embarrassed. "Uh, um hey is that China?"

France rolled his eyes and sipped his chardonnay. "Don't try to change the subject _Turquie_."

"No, really Francis, That's China." He pointed over to the front desk, were Yao indeed stood. He spoke old Korean as he asked the receptionist something. The confused woman pointed to the elevator and Yao thanked her before going entering said machine.

Francis and Sadiq exchanged looks, the blonde smirking and the brunette laughing, finally taking a swig of his drink. "Well I stand corrected. Looks like the old man finally grew a pair."

"I will toast to that _mon ami_. Should we go and make sure he doesn't chicken out?"

"That is the best suggestion I've heard all day."

* * *

He honestly has no idea why he's doing this.

One minute he's worrying in his nice safe hotel room, the next he is asking the receptionist which room Yong Soo was in. His Korean was a bit rusty, he was nearly a century out of practice, but he found it and now he stood in front of the door, just staring.

'_Maybe this isn't such a good idea aru…._' The sensible part of his brain spoke but for once Yao didn't listen to it. Kiku was right; he thought about things too much. '_Act like Korea, act like Korea.'_ He chanted and took the last step toward the door that separated him and his brother.

…..And promptly tripped on the hallway carpeting and barreled into a decoration table. He cursed himself for being a little _too_ much like Korea_. _

"Ow, that hurt aru." He whined, hoping no one saw his less than grateful display.

His palms are sweaty as he raises a hand to knock on the heavy wooden door, only to let it fall limply at his side just before making contact. _'Who am I kidding aru, I can't do this… I'm not impulsive. I'm just not. I don't think I can go through with this. We don't have to actually talk ever again, right aru? I can avoid Yong Soo for the rest of my life, right? Right aru?'_

The words sounded pathetic even to him. Yao always prided himself on being honest and straightforward, but this was a different matter altogether. Everything seemed topsy-turvy whenever Korea was involved, and he found himself tongue-tied and awkward. The only way to get over it was just to blurt everything out and hope for the best.

Besides, China didn't think he could take another moment of not saying everything he wanted to Korea. He owned it to himself and to his brother.

So with his heart racing in his ears, he gulps and knocks on the door. Hard.

* * *

"When does this ceremony start again?" Vash asks irritably. He tries his hardest not watch his little sister who is preparing something in the small kitchenette with a handmade pink apron. Sometimes, Lili was too adorable for her own good.

"Tonight at eight brother." She answers softly.

Neither he nor Liechtenstein had particularly strong ties to anyone involved in the trade agreements that tonight's signing would set up. And he most certainly would not be letting his little sister anywhere near the party that would undoubtedly be following said trade signing. "Why did you want to come to this anyways?"

Lili smiled softly and sat in one of the room's armchairs, it made her look even tinier than usual.

"It is all very romantic don't you think? Like a fairytale almost. It makes me happy to know that two people who love each other can make it through such difficult circumstances."

Vash has to look away to hide his blush, she is just so adorable.

A comfortable silence settles between them, before a loud bang outside their room ruins it.

"Brother, what was that noise?"

Switzerland narrows his eyes at the door. It was bad enough that he was forced to be here, but Liechtenstein wanted to come and heavens knew he could never turn her down. And he'd be damned if he let anyone ruin it for her either.

With his characteristic anger, and gun hidden in his coat pocket just in case, Switzerland opens the door and looks at the spectacle outside.

'_What the hell is wrong with Asia? We don't have these problems over here in Europe.'_

* * *

When the door finally opens, Yao is unable to look at him. The pressure is too intense and he knows that if he was to look up into his almost-lover's face then he wouldn't be able to say anything at all. So he instead looks at the floor as if is the most fascinating piece of carpet he has ever seen in his life.

"Wh-" The small Chinese man doesn't let him answer, he simply holds up his hand in the universal gesture of silence.

"Don't say anything aru, just let me get some things off my chest first. Then I'll listen to everything you have to say. Alright?" He hears clothing shuffling and a 'hmh' but other than that Yong Soo says nothing.

China takes a deep breath and places a hand at the base of his throat to further calm his raging pulse.

And then, everything comes spilling out.

Thailand considered himself a rather easy going guy.

He enjoyed the simple things in life; nature, good food, entertainment and family just to name a few. But there was always fighting going on at home and he had learned after hundreds of years of mediation that there was no way to please everyone. It was best to let his people sort it out for themselves, lest he end up in civil war like some of his siblings.

It was a hard lesson for a nation to accept; that they can't fix all of their people's problems.

Sunan knew he didn't have the economic boom that the other 'Tigers' had, but he was grateful for the good fortune he did have and he worked with it.

Still, every once in a while it was nice to get away from it all and spend some time with his family. This was why he was in a hotel room in Seoul. Yong Soo asked for him and it had been ages since he had seen his elder brother Yao. He was sad that Meimei wasn't going to there but, that was to be expected after how sour things had ended between her and the others.

Hong Kong wouldn't be there either. Rumor had it that he was attempting to get out of England's control and the once empire was prolonging the process with all his might.

Thailand smiled and laughed a bit. "It wouldn't be like old times without there being drama." He says to himself.

It is then that he hears a crash outside his door. The tall Thai man quirks his head to the side. "Ana..?" He peaks his head outside to investigate.

'_Yao…?'_

* * *

"I love you. I always have aru. From that first moment that I found you half dead in the snow, I've loved you. At first I thought you'd be a replacement for Kiku since he left and Hong Kong was stolen from me by that bastard England and Taiwan hated me so much, but that's not what's important aru. What's important is that I was wrong, completely wrong. I love you, for you aru.

Ever since you first paraded in my home, knocked over a priceless vase and called me your Lao Po I've been fixated on you aru. It is completely ridiculous and against nearly everything I believe in but I can't pretend I'm not. You mean so much to aru.

I kept you away from your people not because you weren't ready but because I wasn't ready to be without you. I couldn't stand to be alone after having someone love me even though I'm selfish and jaded aru. You never once thought ill of me and I took advantage of that. And I'm sorry, so very sorry aru."

Yao clenches his fists into his black suit pants and wills himself to keep going on, despite the tears that are pooling in the corners of his eyes.

He struggles to find were to start again, but eventually the words come to him.

* * *

Alfred F. Jones disliked stairs. Actually that was an understatement, he hated stairs. He absolutely abhorred stairs with a white hot burning passion.

"Al, please stop sulking. You look ridiculous." Matthew says while looking back at his brother who was several steps below him out of breath.

In a show of extreme wit and sophistication, America blows a raspberry at the Canadian. "Why are we taking the stairs? There is a perfectly good elevator we can use."

Thankful that his brother couldn't see his face, Matthew smiles softly. Alfred could act like such a child sometimes. He would never say it out loud, not that anyone would hear it anyways, but he loved that childish streak in his brother. He never let things get to him, even when they probably should. He was just so sure of himself; Canada wished he was like that.

But Alfred never needed to know that or he would never let him live it down. "Because France, Turkey and Hungary were in that elevator and I want to be nowhere near there when Elizaveta explodes. Besides, you need the exercise."

Indignantly, America stomps his feet extra hard into already abused stairs. "I exercise all the time! Heroes have to stay fit in order to keep strong and-"

"Do you hear something?" Canada asks as they reach the 7th floor.

Alfred rolls his eyes and adjusts Texas. "Don't try to change the subject yo-"

"Be quiet chubby. I think I hear yelling." He looks down the hallway and sees what's causing the commotion. It is a very upset China. Something is off about the situation; he just couldn't put his finger on what though.

"Chubby! Who are you calling chubby?" America screeches with indignation. Without taking his eyes off the scene in front of him, Matthew elbow's Alfred in the stomach, effectively shutting him up. Upon closer inspection, Canada realizes what is 'off' about this situation. America realizes seconds after he does.

"Oh crap." They chime in together.

* * *

"I never wanted to hurt you. And I honestly thought that sending you away would save you aru. Save you from me. Because I wanted so badly to be lost in you, and that wasn't fair to you. You were too young to have to deal all the horrible things I was and am."

Still looking at the ground, Yao clutches his ponytail and wrings it between his fingers, his speech turning nearly frantic.

"So, I pushed you away aru. It was stupid, I know that now but I thought it would fix things at the time. The feelings would fade after some time apart, but they didn't. I was horribly lonely without you. The house felt haunted aru, like it wasn't even mine anymore. Every room had memories of you in it. Memories of you breaking something, or saying something dumb, they even started smelling like you aru! It felt like I was trapped. I was still being greedy and only thinking of how I was feeling. I never stopped to think that you'd be just as lost without me.

I felt like I'd ruined everything and I did aru!"

The tears were freely flowing by now, so much so that Yao didn't even notice the dig of the elevator opening, nor the people steeping out of it.

"What's going on?" Turkey asks, stepping out of the lift, thankful for any reason to get Francis to stop dropping hints to Elizaveta.

Thailand quickly shushes all three of them and points to the emotional scene taking place only yards away. He doesn't have to look at his two companions to know that they were both gushing, and one of them had a camera to record the event.

In fact China was so enraptured in his speech that he hadn't noticed any of the open doors with nations in various states of awe watching him break down.

And still, the words keep spilling out.

"I didn't know, I swear. I didn't know about anything in those letters until it was too late aru. I didn't want to know. And then everything blew up in Seoul and I thought you'd hate me forever especially after that final letter. I thought I had lost you! And I could understand why, I did everything I shouldn't have done aru. Tibet tried to tell me but I was too stubborn and grown up to see what was clear to you and everyone else.

You tamed me and I tamed you. Even after all of this mess and all the heartache I've caused, you wanted to see me again. You're my most precious person Yong Soo, the only one I ever want to have heartstrings with aru. I'll be your stupid Lao po or let you claim my non-existent breasts, whatever you want, as long as you don't leave me alone again aru!"

Silence.

Yao takes a few shaky breaths and wipes his embarrassingly wet eyes. "Well, are you going to saw something aru?" He snaps, his nerves catching up to him.

And that is when the clapping starts.

China's eyes widen to the size of saucer plates and his head whips around so quickly, that he is hit with immediate whip lash, making the room spin.

"Aww, isn't that nice ana~"

"It's just like a fairy tale big brother."

_Click_

" A truly marvelous expression of amour!"

_Click_

"Not gonna, lie that was pretty gay China. Ow! Stop that Mattie! Okay, okay fine, it was cute. Geez no need to be violent."

_Click, click, click._

"Way to go old man! It's about time!"

"Don't do such personal things in the hallways!"

"This is the most precious thing my maiden's heart has ever seen!"

Yao's face flames at the various catcalls and inappropriate words that are directed at him. _'T-they heard everything aru? This is the most embarrassing thing ever. How am I ever going to live those tears down at the next world meeting!'_ China wishes that the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

"Are you done yet bastard?" Once again, the Chinese man's attention is drawn back to 'Korea' "That was the sisseiest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. Be a fucking man for once."

Or at least he who he thought was Korea. There, standing in front of him with his arms crossed and a sour, yet touched, expression on his face was Romano.

Strike that, **now** he wishes the floor would swallow him whole. Yao's mouth hangs open in shock. _'Tian, t-tell me I didn't just do what I think I did.'_

"I-I got the wrong door aru?" He is still shell shocked from the onslaught of embarrassment and shame that comes with having a nice portion of the international community knowing your deepest darkest secrets.

"Yeah, you did." Lovino answers with sarcasm. "Lover boy is over there you twit." He slams the door shut, but Yao's attention in on Korea, who is standing in the next doorway over, biting his lip adorably with tears streaming down his face.

"Did you mean all that stuff aniki?"

And suddenly, it is like the two of them are alone in the hallway, the shouts and jeers of the other's fading away. Yao is unable to do much but nod yes.

Yong Soo had grown up. He was no longer the little kid he had to fish out of the pond, he was an adult. Instead of making Yao feel uncomfortable, it made his heart beat faster than ever.

"You, you really mean it?" He asks through a sniffle and Yao smiles sheepishly.

"Yes, I do aru." Oh tian, this felt right. Everything felt wonderfully right in his world, like all the pieces had fallen into place after so very long of it being a jumbled puzzle. Yao was on cloud nine even if he had just made a complete fool of himself in front of his peers.

Yong Soo steps toward him and China trembles a little when he towers over him, his hands, now larger than his, coming to rest on his shoulders. "Your breasts really belong to me aniki?"

And as quick as it came about, the spell is broken.

"What?"

"You said they belong to me. You weren't lying, right aniki?" Korea asks grinning wildly, his hand starting to wander.

Yao stares at him incredulously, ignoring the snort of laughter that he is sure came from America. "I give an incredibly embarrassing confession and all you're interested in are my breasts, which don't even exist aru, and is they belong to you?"

'_I take it back, every last word! The brat might have grown physically but he's still as mature as a child aru!'_

Yong Soo shakes his head happily before crushing him in a hug. "Well, yeah, I already knew all that other stuff. I just didn't think you'd give over ownership of your breasts to me so easily! This is the best day ever da-ze!"

Despite the stupidity of this statement, Yao tears up again because it is so typically Yong Soo of an answer. He didn't have to say any of those embarrassing things because Korea had known he loved him all along. He always knew, even when he didn't. "You are so dumb, you little brat." He answers, but his actions betray his words and China clutches the younger nation back with as much strength as he can muster.

He hears the yells and applause all around them and it doesn't bother him as much as it should. Because for the first time ever, Yao feels completely and utterly content with groped by a loud, brash, impulsive Korean boy who he somehow, against all odds, loves more than anything else in this world.

That is until Yong Soo suddenly let go of him and turn to look unashamed at their odd collection of friends and family. "Uh can you guys kinda go? Me and aniki are going to have sex now and I don't think he'd like it very much if you watched."

Yao nearly chokes at these words. "KOREA!"

"What? Fine they can stay, geez. I didn't realize you were that kinky aniki. Did you know that voyeurism originated in me?"

"T-T-THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT ARU!"

"It's okay, everyone can't be as amazing as me, you're a close second though."

"STOP SAYING SUCH VULGAR THINGS ARU!"

"But why? We were going to sex righ-"

The other nations, some of which were laughing, other who were shielding their sibling ear from the less than classy conversation, hear nothing else for China has pushed the Korean boy inside the hotel room and slammed the door shut. Presumably to do the vulgar things Yong Soo was just talking about.

"I just love treaty signings, don't you guys?" Elizaveta gushes cradling her now full camera to her cheast with a dreamy sigh.

"There are so many things wrong with what you've just said that I'm not going to try and explain them to you." Turkey says while ruffling her hair. "I need another drink if I'm going to make it to this treaty signing, come on Eli."

"I shall accompany you." France says joining the Turkish man in the lift.

"Don't call me that you savage of a man!" None the less she joins them.

Alfred bolts from the staircase to the elevator. "Ditto for me and Mattie! I need to drink something manly before I start saying a bunch of girly stuff too."

"Fine, I'll go only to make sure you don't do something dumb."

"Huh, did you say anything?'

Canada only sighs and joins them, used to not being heard.

"May I come too? I think my family is going to be busy for a while." Thailand asks with a characteristic smile.

"Sure!" America chirps, "The more the merrier!" The now packed elevator closes much to Switzerland's relief. Thankfully Lili had no desire to associate with such vulgar people. His sweet innocent sister was above such things-

"Big brother, what does voyeurism mean?" Liechtenstein asks curiously.

Vash vows to leave bullet holes in each and every one of them when he next sees them, neutrality be damned.

* * *

Later, after all things are said and done, when the treaties are signed and the parties have died out Yong Soo lays in bed with Yao curled around him and thinks.

He thinks of all the things that have brought him to this moment.

Of the circumstances that separated them for so long, and about the happenstance that has brought them back together again.

Of the people who have wedged themselves between them, and about he friends who have helped inch them closer one more.

Of the siblings that have hurt him, and of the siblings that were willing to take the time and build him whole again.

Of the moments when he has reached out to touch China, only to meet with a 'great wall' and the moments when their heart have been miles away, yet connected soundly by mere words on paper.

He thinks about how their lands can be so very far away from each other when they are laying here so close, limbs tanged and breaths mingling.

Yong Soo thinks of how very strange fate is to tie him so securely to a tiny little wisp of a man who took two centuries to figure out that they were destined for each other from the start.

"It's funny da-ze" he whispers pushing Yao's hair behind his ear, careful not to wake him. "The part of the story where the shining prince saves the princess is supposed to be the end. I was always afraid of what would happen once the story ended." Korea yawns and buries his nose into China's hair, the toll of today finally hitting him. "But, I'm not really afraid, not anymore Hyung-nim. I wonder why?"

Finally peaceful slumber claims him.

The night passes by slowly, without event. As if a strange calm has blanketed the usually hectic world, making it wind down and take part in the night's silent requiem.

Yet, as sure as can be, the sun will rise and the fleeting rest will be over. They will awaken tomorrow groggy and clumsy in a tangle of arms and legs, their will be bodies sore for use and their problems will return, for they always do. Korea will still struggles with his other half and Yao will still suffer the weight of 5000 years.

But amidst all this chaos their hearts will have been stitched back together tenderly with red thread, which will make all the difference.

And that is where the story will really begin.

* * *

The End.

* * *

_**Notes;**_

**Aging**- I have always found it interesting that the nations age so sporadically. Countries like Korea in particular, so I went on to try and explain this a bit.

**Taipei**- In order to create economic and diplomatic ties with China, South Korea willingly cut ties with Taiwan. I felt bad for her, she was forgotten this entire story.

**Nuna**- Korean for sister.

**Hong Kong**- Around this time period, 1992ish, England officially began trying to figure out how to peacefully relinquish control over Hong Kong back to China. It would take Arthur another five years to actually let go of his once ward.

**Lovino, Sadiq and Vash oh my**- Italy and Turkey both have excellent ties with South Korea in nearly all areas. I fell in love with Lovino's brash character in chapter seven and I wanted to bring him back to lighten to mood, Turkey as well who is always adorable to me. France and Turkey are totally bros. Vash somehow wormed his way into this story with the help of Liechtenstein. And Thailand finally got a on screen part! All my goals for this story have been met.

**French**; _Comment sont des choses avec votre petite tulipe Elizavete?- _How are things going with your little tulip Elizaveta? I couldn't help it; I am a rabid Turkey/Hungary shipper and had to throw it in.

**Lili**- This is the name the fandom seems to have given Liechtenstein. I could resists adding her an Vash into the story.

**'Tigers**'- The east Asian Tigers is a name given to the east Asian nations that saw enormous financial success after WWII. The tigers are; South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

* * *

It's over, and I really mean it this time.

I'm very happy with the way this epilogue came out. While it was way longer than I originally planned I feel like it helped this story come full circle. Heartstrings started with tender, funny moments then it changed into something deeper something much more taboo and dark. With this epilogue it returned to being tender and funny.

When I originally set out to write this story it was for the seven deadly sins challenge over on livejournal, but someone else claimed the China/Korea pairing but never wrote anything. I had intended for it to be seven short unrelated stories, but the idea grew on its own and has literally become a constant in my life for the past year. Like a parasite it didn't allow me to write anything else until I worked on this. I started writing Heartstrings around this time last summer, even though I didn't publish it until Christmas, and I have been continually been tweaking it ever since.

Heartstrings is my crowning achievement in writing and I'd like to thank you all for making it a bigger success than I ever dreamed it could be.

It has been a long road and I eternally grateful to have you all walk with me along the way.

_Forever and Eternally,_

_-Ra_


End file.
